The post-trade deadline 2026 New York Mets were beginning to make a bit of noise after winning four in a row. They had swept the Cleveland Guardians and taken the first game of a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the Mets came back down to Earth on Saturday night with a 9-0 loss to the Pirates, snapping their winning streak. Robert Stock struggled mightily in his second start of the season, and the Mets were down 8-0 by the fourth inning. The Mets are now 51-67 on the year.
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Stock Plummets
Stock became a feel-good story for the Mets after his first start on the big league club. At 36 years old, Stock was added to the team’s roster in early August and was coming off surgery. Stock pitched well last Sunday against the Miami Marlins and gave the Mets five good innings. However, the Pirates knocked him out of his second start on Saturday after just three innings. Jake Magnum led off the bottom of the first inning with a double. Bryan Reynolds then singled, and Magnum scored on an RBI groundout by Nick Gonzalez. On the next at-bat, Ronny Simon doubled to score two and made it 3-0 Pirates.
In the bottom of the third inning, Simon bunted his way to first base and later stole second base. Jacob Gonzalez notched an RBI single off Stock to score Simon. Stock went back out there in the fourth inning and did not record an out. Henry Davis began the inning with a single and Magnum drove him in with a double. Magnum’s second double of the game. Stock then walked Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds to load the bases with nobody out. A wild pitch on the next at-bat from Stock would score Magnum before he walked Spencer Horwitz. Nick Gonzales would end Stock’s day on a two-RBI double as the Pirates extended their lead to 8-0. Xzavion Curry would come on in relief of Stock.
All in all, Stock allowed nine hits, eight runs, five walks, and a wild pitch. It’s only been two starts, but the outing put his ERA up to 10.13. Curry, meanwhile, pitched three shutout innings in relief and struck out four batters, while lowering his ERA to 2.81.
Mets Offense Also Comes Down to Earth
During the winning streak, the Mets offense had scored 31 runs. Six runs or more in their last four games. But the Mets offense against Pirates starter Bubba Chandler only mustered up three hits and couldn’t get anything going. AJ Ewing provided the only walk of the day for the Mets. The early hole was too steep for manager Andy Green, so he pulled Francisco Lindor and Bo Bichette in just the bottom of the fifth inning. Leaving the Mets for the rest of the game without their two best bats in a lineup that also doesn’t have Juan Soto at the moment.
Carson Benge Update
Before the game, the Mets got some good news on rookie Carson Benge. Benge was removed from Friday night’s game after slamming his wrist on the left field wall while making a sliding catch. X-Rays on his left wrist came back negative, and Green said that it is a bone bruise, but the Mets don’t believe he’ll miss much time. Benge said that he should be back in a few days. He was left out of the lineup on Saturday.
On Deck:
The rubber game of this three-game series on Sunday will see Sean Manaea start for the Mets against Jared Jones. The game is at 1:35 pm EDT and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880AM.
