The talk of the Steel City was the New York Mets’ debut of pitcher Marcus Stroman. After six years in the American League, the Mets acquired Stroman just a day before the trading deadline. He was all smiles during the pre-game saying “I’m in a great place” and very excited to be a New York Met. He may have been a little too amped up for his first start.
Stroman, who seldom allows a run in the first inning, gave up a run before he got an out as the first four Pirates singled. And then through two innings, six out of the first 11 Pirates ended up reaching base. Marcus settled down after the second and pitched well in the third and fourth.
But Mr. Stroman has to take a back seat to his battery-mate, Wilson Ramos, in this game. Ramos had his first six-RBI night of his career to lead the Mets to a come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5. (Box Score) It was the Mets eighth win in their last nine games.
Ramos also had four hits in the contest, the first time this year he has had a four hit game. Jeff McNeil began the Mets rally with a pinch-hit home run in the seventh before the Wilson Ramos show in the eighth and ninth when the Mets backstop drove in five of his six runs.
Offense
The Mets managed 12 hits against the Pirates on Saturday.
As they did on Friday, the Mets scored in the first inning against Pittsburgh. The Mets made Pirate starter Chris Archer throw 30 pitches and take 20 minutes in the top of the first, but through all that, New York managed only one run to grab the early lead. Jeff McNeil was given the day off so Mickey Callaway opted to have Amed Rosario lead off. It was the 18th time Rosario has led off in his career.
Amed began the game with an infield single to third. He stole second to put immediate pressure on the Bucs. Michael Conforto followed with a walk. After Pete Alonso struck out, Cano broke an 0-19 career mark against Archer with a single to load the bases. Wilson Ramos, who is batting over .300 with the bases loaded, stroked a single to plate Rosario and give the Mets the lead. It was Ramos’ 50th RBI of the year. The Mets had the bases loaded, but J.D. Davis struck out and Todd Frazier grounded out to end the inning.
Wilson Ramos was just getting started.
The Mets wasted a lead-off double by Alonso in the third to keep the score 2-1 Pirates at this point in the game.
The Mets did not get a hit in the fourth, fifth or sixth innings as Archer threw an effective six innings.
In the seventh, Michael Feliz entered the game in relief for the Pirates and after a strikeout to Juan Lagares, Jeff McNeil was asked to pinch hit. On the first pitch he saw from Feliz, McNeil hit the baseball out of PNC Park to reduce the Pirates lead to 3-2. It was McNeil’s 12th home run of the year, and first as a pinch hitter. Rosario followed with a double, but once again the Mets could not get the runner in scoring position home as Conforto lined out and Alonso struck out to end the inning.
Kyle Crick came in to pitch the eighth for Pittsburgh. Cano began the inning with a double to the gap in right center. It was Cano’s 21st double of the year. Ramos was next, and he gave the Mets the lead with an opposite field 2-run homer to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Ramos has four RBIs in the series against the Bucs (to this point as there would be more) and 11 HRs on the year.
The Mets broke the game open in the ninth off of reliever Chris Stratton. McNeil and Rosario singled to start things off and after an intentional walk to Cano, Ramos strode to the plate with the bases loaded. He hit the ball off the wall for a double, clearing the bases to give the Mets a 7-3 lead. It was Ramos’ fourth hit of the game, his first four hit game of the year and sixth of his career. His six RBIs was a career high for the Mets catcher.
It may be accurate to say the Bucs were ‘Buffaloed’.
Pitching
Marcus Stroman made his 23rd start of the year against the Pirates on Saturday.
Stroman was greeted rudely by the Bucs in the first inning. He ended up giving up two runs and threw 35 pitches.
The first four Pirates each singled to begin the frame. Adam Frazier, Bryan Reynolds, Starling Marte and Josh Bell welcomed Stroman to the NL with base hits to tie the score at 1-1. Marte got the RBI, his 65th of the year. Throughout the inning, Stroman was not getting the benefit of close calls by home plate umpire Bill Welke. Ramos questioned Welke on several close pitches.
Pittsburgh had the bases loaded when Jose Osuna walked (again with several pitches that could have gone either way) to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead. The score would have been 3-1 if not for a terrific play by Stroman in the field. The pitcher showed his athleticism when Kevin Newman hit a slow roller to the third base side of the mound. Stroman, a 2017 Gold Glove winner, bounded off the mound and bare-handed a throw to Ramos to get the force out and keep the game a 2-1 affair.
The Pirates stroked two more singles in the second (by Frazier and Reynolds) but Stroman kept the Bucs off the board. Six of the first eleven batters Stroman faced reached base.
Stroman pitched his first 1-2-3 inning as a Met in the third as he looked if he was settling down.
The Pirates were retired in order in the fourth. Through four innings, Stroman had thrown 82 pitches and retired his last eight in a row.
The fifth inning was Stroman’s last. Reynolds led off with a double and was moved to third on a wild pitch with Bell at the plate. Bell walked to put runners on the corners. Callaway popped out of the dugout to get Stroman and replace him with Luis Avilan. Avilan walked Osuna to load the bases and then proceeded to hit Newman with a pitch to plate Reynolds and extend the Bucs lead to 3-1. Jacob Rhame came into the game to get the final out.
Stroman’s final line was:
4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 92 pitches (55 strikes).
Rhame stayed in the game for the sixth and retired the Bucs working around a two-out walk.
Southpaw Justin Wilson pitched the seventh for New York. The Pirates put runners on the corners with one out, but pinch hitter Melky Cabrera hit into a double play to keep the Pirates lead at only one run.
The National League Reliever of the Month for July, Seth Lugo, came in for the Mets in the eighth. In July, Lugo pitched 12 scoreless innings, with 16 strike outs and only one walk allowed. Lugo picked up in August where he left off in July as he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
Edwin Diaz entered the game in the ninth in a non-save situation. He gave up a two-run homer to Marte, his 20th four-bagger of the year. For Diaz, it was the 10th home run he has allowed this year after yielding only five last year. He ended up striking out the side to preserve the 7-5 victory.
On Deck
The Mets try to take the rubber game Sunday versus the Pirates with an afternoon tilt that concludes the series. Noah Syndergaard (7-5, 4.10 ERA) will start for New York. He was absolutely dominant in his last start allowing no runs, five hits while striking out 11 against the White Sox.
In four starts since the All-Star break, Syndergaard owns a 1.91 ERA with 36 strikeouts and seven walks in 28.1 innings.
Joe Musgrove (8-9, 4.23 ERA) goes for the Pirates on Sunday. He is coming off a win against the Cincinnati Reds where he gave up two runs on five hits in six innings pitched. Musgrove will be making his 24th start of the year.
The game will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS-880 AM. First pitch is at 1:35 PM.
