Megill, McNeil Lead Mets to 4-2 Win, Doubleheader Split

For the eighth time this year, the Mets split a doubleheader.

This time though, they decided to switch up their usual routine, dropping the first game before rebounding to win the nightcap 4-2 behind strong performances from Tyler Megill and Jeff McNeil.

Megill began his fourth career start with a strikeout of Kevin Newman. He followed that up with a three-pitch K of Ke’Bryan Hayes and pop out from All-Star Bryan Reynolds.

Max Kranick – making his second career start after going five perfect innings in his first two weeks ago – similarly started his night with a strikeout of Brandon Nimmo. It would take just two more pitches for Kranick to allow the first baserunner of his young career, as Francisco Lindor ripped a single into left center. a

Pitching from the stretch for the first time as a major-leaguer, Kranick walked Dom Smith to give the Mets two on with one out in the opening frame. After Pete Alonso struck out, Jeff McNeil roped a double into the gap in right center, scoring two.

The double was McNeil’s first extra base hit in 60 at bats since returning from the IL. Michael Conforto followed that with a walk – bringing Kranick’s pitch count to 29 in the first – but Jonathan Villar flew out to shallow center to leave two stranded.

Pitching with a lead, Megill started the second off by walking Ben Gamel on five pitches. He rebounded to strike out the scorching hot John Nogowski and Rodolfo Castro, but walked his second batter of the inning in Jacob Stallings. Megill would escape though, thanks to a fine play from Jeff McNeil on a Jared Oliva’s chopper.

Kranick’s second inning was decidedly easier than his first. James McCann fouled out, Megill struck out and Nimmo grounded out to ease him through the frame.

After Kranick grounded out to start the third, Newman recorded the Pirates’ first hit with a perfect bunt to the left side. Hayes snuck a grounder past a diving Alonso, giving Pittsburgh runners on the corners with one out for its best hitter in Reynolds.

He made it hurt, ripping a single to right to cut the Met lead in half. Megill got Gamel to pop out to shallow left and struck out Nogowski to escape the jam, but pushed his pitch count up to 66 through three innings in doing so.

After Kranick retired Lindor and Smith via strikeout to start the third, Alonso hit a missile of a homer off the facing of the second deck in left to extend the Met lead to 3-1 and awaken the Citi Field faithful.

McNeil followed with his second hit of the game and Conforto walked to put two on with two out, but Villar’s foul pop out ended the threat.

Megill struck out Castro and Stallings to start a scoreless fourth. Those strikeouts – his sixth and seventh of the day – gave Megill a tie for most strikeouts through his first four starts in franchise history.

Megill has pitched really well through his infant career, but longevity has been an issue.
After walking Oliva and allowing a seeing-eye single to Wilmer Difo, Megill would exit in favor of Jeurys Familia. He got Newman to ground into a fielder’s choice to Lindor.

Former Met Chasen Shreve entered for the Pirates and was greeted by McCann’s soft line drive single. Shreve made a beautiful behind-the-back stab of Kevin Pillar’s grounder to force a fielder’s choice.

After a Nimmo walk gave the Mets two on with one out, Lindor tapped one in front of the plate that acted as a sacrifice swinging bunt, moving both runners over. Smith worked a nice at bat – just missing a three-run homer foul – but eventually lined out hard to first to strand the runners.

McNeil’s second fancy defensive play of the game got Seth Lugo’s night off to a sparkling start. A groundout to first from Reynolds and walk to Gamel brought up Nogowski as the tying run with two outs. Lugo got ahead 0-2 and forced Nogowski into a groundout to get through the fifth.

Conforto drew his third walk of the game with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Villar’s groundout stranded the seventh Met runner of the game.

Lugo stayed in for a second inning of work and gave up a one-out solo homer to Stallings to cut the Met lead in half midway through the sixth inning.

McCann led off the bottom half of the inning with a walk off new Pirate pitcher Clay Holmes. Pillar moved him over to second with a soft grounder to bring up the top of the Met order looking for some insurance.

Per usual, Nimmo worked a full count, but watched strike three for the second out of the inning. Lindor was intentionally walked to bring up pinch hitter Billy McKinney. He lined one the other way through the shift to give the Mets that insurance run they were looking for. Alonso’s fielder’s choice ended the inning, stranding the eighth and ninth runners of the game for the Mets.

Edwin Diaz entered for the seventh, hoping to make that number irrelevant. It took him just 10 pitches to strike out the side and sound the trumpets in an absolutely dominant seventh, locking down the win.

The Mets and Pirates will play their final game of the first half Sunday at 1:10 p.m. on SNY and WCBS Radio 880. The Mets – who haven’t announced a starter yet – will look to take the four-game set against Chase De Jong (1-3, 5.08).