(USA Today Sports)
Despite a couple of Neil Walker defensive miscues, the Mets escaped a sweep by the skin of their teeth, finally breaking their nine game losing streak against the pesky Pittsburgh Pirates.
With the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, Wilmer Flores dropped a pinch-hit single into center field for the go ahead run. Mets closer Jeurys Familia flirted with potential disaster, walking three in the final frame before recording his 35th consecutive regular season save for a 6-5 Mets win.
“I wanted to stay up the middle against him but the ball got up on me a little bit,” Flores said about his keenly placed bloop single. “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.”
Noah Syndergaard had a very Un-Thor-Like no-decision, surrendering a career high five doubles and leaving the game after 102 pitches with the score tied at 3-3 in the sixth. The Mets defense certainly didn’t do Thor any favors.
Rookie Ty Kelly recorded his first career home run, a two-run shot that evened the score in the fourth. The 27 year-old utility rookie, filling the cavernous cleats of the injury plagued Lucas Duda and David Wright, was expected to return to Triple-A this weekend when veteran Kelly Johnson rejoins the Mets from Atlanta for the second time in a year.
(AP, Gene J. Puskar)
“It was exciting,” said Kelly about his first MLB blast. “I was happy to just hit a home run or just get a hit in the first place. It was a bigger deal because of the score and everything. That was the first thought that went into my head, was tied it up. Just made it that much more fun.”
It’s unfortunate that the long-time minor leaguer, who may be beginning to hit his stride, has to be the fall guy to the Mets’ infatuation with a player that they’re still not sure they’re in love with. But maybe Kelly staved off a flight to Las Vegas with his performance last night, both at the plate and in the field where he made three sparkling plays and saved a run with a perfect throw to the plate.
Syndergaard’s bat helped his own cause with a double in the 5th, and Michael Conforto’s sac fly protected his starting pitcher from getting the loss.
Right-handed reliever Jim Henderson was the recipient of more Neil Walker woes in the bottom of the 7th after the defensive dynamo muffed a relay on a double by Gregory Polanco, that allowed Andrew McCutchen to score from first. The error gave Polanco 3rd base, and a sac fly by Josh Harrison gave the Pirates a two run lead.
It may not have been a walk in PNC Park Wednesday night, but the Mets found a profound way to claw their way back to remain 3 ½ behind the nasty Nats going into a four game series against the Brewers, who they swept back in May.
“That was a hard-fought game for us,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We had to work hard for everything we got. And then to make it stand up, it was a struggle. We’ll take it and get out of here.”
