The New York Mets lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-0, Saturday night at PNC Park in lovely Western Pennsylvania. This is the ninth time the Mets have been shut out this season.
The Mets left eight men on base and sent Jacob deGrom to his sixth loss of the season.
Offense
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams set down the Mets in order in the first and second innings, striking out Amed Rosario in the first and inducing two fly outs (Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil) in the second.
Devin Mesoraco singled on what should have been a throwing error on third baseman Colin Moran and Philip Evans earned a five-pitch bases-on-balls to lead off the third. Jacob deGrom laid down a two-strike sacrifice bunt, but Mesoraco was nabbed advancing to third base.
A Rosario groundout moved the runners into scoring position, bringing up Brandon Nimmo with two outs, but he struck out looking on a high fastball.
Wilmer Flores popped out into foul territory to start the fourth, then Michael Conforto smoked a single to center for the Mets’ second hit of the game. Jose Bautista followed with another single through the middle and McNeil walked to load the bases, but Mesoraco grounded into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Jacob deGrom stretched a poke down the left field line into a one-out double and Rosario walked in the next at-bat to give the Mets another opportunity with two on and one down. Nimmo went down on strikes for the second time and Flores popped out to third to leave another two men on base for the Mets.
Jeff McNeil added a two-out single in the sixth, the second hit of his career, but the Mets couldn’t capitalize.
Phillip Evans crushed a ball to right-center to lead off the seventh that was tracked down before deGrom added his second hit of the night on a well-hit ball to center. He was erased on Rosario’s groundout, and after Rosey stole second, Nimmo struck out for the third time, stranding him there.
The Pirates’ Kyle Crick struck out the side in the eighth, setting down Flores, Conforto, and Bautista, all on strikeouts, on an array of very well-placed pitches. Very impressive stuff.
The Mets went down in order in the ninth with Richard Rodriguez striking out McNeil and Mesoraco and getting Evans to fly out to end the game.
Pitching
Adam Frazier led off the bottom of the first with a line drive single to center field off of Mets’ starter Jacob deGrom. The 30-year-old righty then got Starling Marte to fly out, struck out Gregory Polanco on a 97 MPH four-seamer.
He breezed through the Pirates in the second, needing just eight pitches to retire Jose Osuna, Jordan Luplow, and Francisco Cervelli.
In the third, deGrom got Jordy Mercer to groundout, struck out his counterpart Trevor Williams, allowed another base hit to Frazier, then got Marte to line out to end the frame.
Polanco ripped a leadoff double to right-center that bounced off the side of Bautista’s glove. Moran grounded out, moving Polanco to third and putting deGrom in the jackpot.
He responded by thinking quickly on a comebacker from Osuna by throwing home to get the advancing Polanco for the second out. Luplow then popped out and deGrom escaped the jam unscathed.
Jacob deGrom got right back to work in the fifth, setting down Cervelli, Mercer, and Williams in order on just nine pitches.
The 30-year-old Cy Young candidate struck out Frazier and Marte to begin the sixth, gave up a base hit to Polanco who then stole second and came around to score on Colin Moran’s single to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. He then got Osuna to fly out to end the inning.
deGrom allowed a leadoff single to Jordan Luplow to start the seventh. Cervelli laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move him along, Mercer singled to put runners on first and third with one out.
David Freese, pinch-hitting, hit a weak grounder that negated the chance for a double play, allowing a run to score, extending the Pirates’ lead to 2-0 and Frazier shot an RBI double down the right field line to put Pittsburgh ahead 3-0. He got Marte to line out to end the inning, leaving Frazier at second.
Jacob deGrom’s night ended after the seventh when Robert Gsellman came in for the eighth. deGrom’s final line was seven innings, three earned runs on eight hits, with five strikeouts and no walks. His earned-run average jumped up to 1.82.
Gsellman allowed a leadoff double to Polanco, his second double and third hit of the game. Colin Moran followed with a single to bring him home and put Pittsburgh ahead 4-0.
With two outs, Francisco Cervelli shot a single to left-center, breaking a 0-for-22 skid, to score Luplow and give the Pirates a 5-0 lead. He walked Mercer but induced a Sean Rodriguez line drive that Rosario squeezed to limit the damage.
On Deck
Zack Wheeler (4-6, 4.33 ERA) takes on Joe Musgrove (4-4, 3.90 ERA) in the final game of the four-game set between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow afternoon.
The game starts at 1:35 PM and will be televised on WPIX, and will be broadcast on 710 WOR.
