Mets’ Bullpen Collapses Against Pirates
Flushing, NY (Sports Network) – Steve Pearce’s two-out, two-run single capped a three-run ninth-inning comeback, as the Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off an improbable 7-5 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
The game was played to make up a rainout from April 28, and the Pirates appeared disinterested at first with three early errors that helped the Mets take a 5-1 lead. But the New York bullpen wasted a strong effort from Pedro Martinez and the Mets lost their second straight game.
Martinez held the Pirates to one run on three hits and four walks over six innings, but Pittsburgh scored three against the New York bullpen in the seventh and completed the comeback against Aaron Heilman and Scott Schoeneweis in the ninth.
Heilman (2-7), who recorded saves in his last two outings with Billy Wagner sidelined, could not get it done Monday. Luis Rivas singled with one out and Doug Mientkiewicz followed with a walk before Ryan Doumit drove a ball off the base of the wall in right field for a run-scoring single to tie it. After Andy LaRoche was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Schoeneweis took over.
Brandon Moss ripped a hot shot toward second that Damion Easley flagged down. He threw home for the force out, but Schoeneweis was unable to keep it tied as Pearce ripped a full-count pitch into left-center field for a two-run single to give the Pirates a 7-5 advantage.
“I worked the count and got the pitch that I was waiting for,” said Pearce, who had a baserunning mistake and popped up with the bases loaded earlier in the game.
The Mets tried to recover in the bottom of the ninth, as Carlos Beltran led off with a single against John Grabow. The Pirate lefty, though, struck out Carlos Delgado and got Fernando Tatis to hit into a game-ending double play.
Grabow notched his second save and Denny Bautista (4-2) picked up the win with one inning of scoreless relief.
The Mets lost for the ninth time this season when leading in the eighth inning or later.
“We can’t continue to perform this way late in games,” said Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes during Beltran’s at-bat. “We have to do better than that. We just have to make some adjustments. I have to figure out who is willing to step up in those roles.”
David Wright belted a three-run homer and Robinson Cancel added a solo shot for New York.
Mientkiewicz was 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and extended his hitting streak to eight games for Pittsburgh, which had dropped the last two of a three-game set in Philadelphia over the weekend.
Zach Duke started for the Pirates and yielded five runs — three earned — on eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out three,
The Mets jumped on top with three first-inning runs on one swing of the bat. Jose Reyes singled off the glove of a diving Mientkiewicz at first base, stole second and took third when Nick Evans reached on an error by third baseman Andy LaRoche. Wright then lifted a Duke offering over the wall in right-center field for his 23rd homer and a 3-0 lead.
A baserunning mistake by Pearce may have cost the Pirates a run in the third, as the rookie led off with a double and was thrown out trying to reach third on a grounder to short by Chris Gomez.
The shoddy Pittsburgh defense yielded a run in the bottom of the inning. Delgado singled with one out and took second on a base hit by Tatis. After Easley popped up, Cancel slashed a single to center and Nate McLouth’s throw home was in plenty of time to get Delgado, who slowed up in preparation for a tag. But Doumit simply dropped the perfect one-hop throw and Delgado, who had missed the plate as he went past, touched home for a 4-0 edge.
Pittsburgh left the bases loaded in the fourth when Pearce popped up, but finally reached Martinez for a run in the fifth after Gomez walked, took second on a bunt and scored on a two-out base hit by Mientkiewicz.
Cancel got the run back in the sixth when he led off the inning with his first career home run, a line shot down the left field line that hit the screen on the foul pole.
The Pirates, though, took advantage once Martinez left the contest.
Gomez led off the seventh with a walk from Joe Smith and scored on a double by Freddy Sanchez. Pedro Feliciano took over on the mound and the Pirates gave up an out with a sacrifice by McLouth, but Rivas drew a walk and Mientkiewicz doubled in a run. A sacrifice fly by Doumit made it a 5-4 game and pushed the tying run to third, but Duaner Sanchez got LaRoche on a fly ball to center to keep the Mets in front.
New York wasted a leadoff double by Wright in the home seventh, stranding him at third after Tatis popped up for the second out and Easley grounded to short.
Game Notes
The game was delayed for 31 minutes at the start because of rain…Martinez was in line for his first victory since July 7 at Philadelphia…Duke has not won on the road since May 27, 2007 — a span of 17 games, including 16 starts. He also hasn’t earned a win of any kind since June 9 against Arizona and is now 0-6 in 11 outings since that victory…Each team stranded 10 runners…The Mets will start a seven-game road trip on Tuesday with the first of three games at Washington. New York will then travel to Pittsburgh for four games on the weekend…The Pirates welcome Cincinnati for three games before the Mets visit.
08/11 18:45:35 ET