Wilmer Flores' RBI single in the 10th inning lifted the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Pirates and put an end to their seven-game losing streak on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
For a full box score of the game, click here.
Things you should know about tonight's game...
1) Flores snuck a ball down the left-field line that scored Michael Conforto with one out in the 10th for his third RBI of the game. It was his third walk-off hit this season and the ninth of his career, tying David Wright for the most in franchise history. Flores singled in the first two runs of the game in the first.
2) Steven Matz pitched four perfect innings and retired the side in six of his seven innings, but a four-batter sequence in the fourth and a solo homer by Gregory Polanco in the seventh cost him three runs. Pittsburgh erased a 2-0 deficit with four straight hits to open the fourth and took the lead on Polanco's second homer in as many nights. Matz was charged with three runs on six hits while striking out seven. He didn't issue a walk for the first time in 15 starts this season.
3) The benches emptied during the eighth inning when Jeurys Familia took exception to a hard, but clean slide by Josh Harrison into Asdrubal Cabrera at second while breaking up a double play. Order was quickly restored and Familia worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied, 3-3.
4) Conforto tied the game, 3-3, with a two-out solo homer in the seventh, his 10th of the season. Asdrubal Cabrera singled twice, walked and scored a run.
5) Tim Peterson picked up his first Major League win with a perfect 10th inning. Anthony Swarzak, Familia and Peterson (1-0) combined to pitch three scoreless frames in relief of Matz.
Michael Avallone, SNY.tv | Twitter |
An afternoon that begin with the somber news of Sandy Alderson's recurrence of cancer ended with at least a few moments of happiness for the Mets. To be honest, wins have been so few and far between for New York over the last two months it was a bit odd to see them smile at the conclusion of a game. But smile and enjoy the moment they did after -- who else? -- Wilmer Flores drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th to snap the Mets' second seven-game losing streak this month.
It didn't appear any such heroics would be needed with the way Steven Matz was pitching early on. Not only was he perfect through four, but he was doing so with some of the best stuff we've seen from him in quite some time. To be fair, Matz has pitched very well for the better part of seven weeks, posting a 3.20 ERA in his last 10 starts. But like everyone else not named Jacob deGrom, he's gotten lost in the shuffle due to the enormity of the Mets' struggles since the beginning of May.
As for Flores, it's really amazing that he, of all people, seems to have a knack for coming through when the game is on the line in the late innings. He leads all Major Leaguers with nine walk-off RBIs since 2014, and his nine walk-off hits is tied with David Wright for the most in franchise history. The kicker is Flores made his big league debut in 2013, more than nine years after Wright made his. But, that's baseball...
News and notes...
The Mets snapped their second seven-game losing streak this month with their second win at home in the last 16 games. New York improved to 8-15 in one-run games and 4-5 in extra innings.
Flores has eight RBIs in his last four games and 11 in his last nine contests.
Cabrera is hitting .350 (14-for-40) with two homers, seven RBIs and five runs scored over his last nine games.
Conforto has four doubles, three homers, 11 walks and eight RBIs in his last 14 games. He is batting .306 (15-for-49) during that span.
Matz completed seven innings for the second time this season. He surrendered consecutive RBI singles in the fifth after holding opponents to a .119 average (5-for-42) with runners in scoring position over his previous nine starts.
Polanco's homer was the 22nd the Mets have surrendered in their last eight games.
The Mets recalled Gerson Bautista from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned Luis Guillorme, who had been with the club since May 9.
What's next...
The Mets (32-45) go for their first series win at home in more than a month when they face the Pirates (37-42) on Wednesday night at Citi Field at 7:00 p.m. on PIX11.
Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.85 ERA/3.85 FIP, 79 K, 1.371 WHIP) had one poor sequence in the sixth inning ruin an otherwise solid start against the Dodgers last Friday. All four runs against the right-hander came courtesy of Cody Bellinger's grand slam. Wheeler, who tied his season-high by completing seven innings for the third time in that outing, has pitched into the sixth in seven consecutive starts and nine of his last 10 overall. He surrendered three runs over six innings in his only career start against the Pirates last season.
Ivan Nova (4-5, 3.98 ERA/3.87 FIP, 66 Ks, 1.230 WHIP) continued his strong June by blanking the Diamondbacks on three hits over eight innings last Friday. The 31-year-old has a 0.92 ERA and is holding opponents to a .169 average in three starts this month after posting a 7.61 mark in five outings in May. Nova has a 2.82 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against New York. The right-hander has not faced the Mets since 2013 when he was with the Yankees.