The Mets (35-29) defeated the Pirates (33-32) by a score of 11-2 Wednesday night at Citi Field.
Pitching:
Noah Syndergaard started for the Mets and was immediately electric, constantly hitting 100 mph with his fastball and 92 mph with his slider in the first inning. After allowing a single on the first pitch of the game and being staked to a three run lead in the first inning, he retired 17 straight batters before John Jaso got his second hit of the game in the 6th inning. He rolled through 8 scoreless, 3-hit innings before getting back out there for the 9th inning.
Facing John Jaso, who had two of the Pirates’ three hits against him, Thor fell behind 3-0. He worked the count back full before Jaso lined a double over the center fielder de Aza’s head. Gregory Polanco then grounded back to the mound and Thor decided to just throw it to first so Jaso advanced the third with one out, putting the shutout in jeopardy.
David Freese stepped to the plate and on an 0-2 count, he took a 92 mph slider just off the plate, close enough for the umpire to ring hum up, but alas, he didn’t. Freese then lined a double to the left-center field gap, scoring Jaso from third and shattering the shutout.
Syndergaard’s line: 8 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 11 Ks, 0 BB, 115 pitches
Jeurys Familia, in need of work, came in to finish off the game. Jung Ho Kang worked the count full before smacking a ground ball into the hole between short and third. Wilmer Flores made a spectacular stop, however he threw the ball away and it skipped into the stands, scoring Freese from second due to the dead ball. Syndergaard was responsible for Freese, however the run was unearned and therefore will not affect Thor’s ERA, which is now 1.91 on the season.
Familia then struck out Matt Joyce with a filthy slider and got Josh Harrison to ground out, ending the game.
Offense:
The Mets had to deal with lefty Jeff Locke, and started the game off strong. Curtis Granderson led off with a bloop hit to left field, and Asdrubal Cabrera followed him up with a liner to right, putting runners on first and second for Yoenis Cespedes. He worked the count full before drawing a walk for tonight’s cleanup hitter Wilmer Flores. Flores hit a nubber towards first base fielded by Locke, but his only play was to first. The run scored from third, and the other two runners advanced to second and third with one out.
Kelly Johnson then popped up to the catcher for the second out, but Matt Reynolds tattooed a ball over the third base bag for a two-run double giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.
After a Rene Rivera leadoff double was wasted in the second inning, Kelly Johnson rocketed a solo shot into the bullpen in the third to extend the Mets lead to 4.
The Mets made some noise again in the 5th inning, with Asdrubal Cabrera leading off with a single. Yoenis Cespedes then knocked a line drive base hit to left which Starling Marte misplayed, sending Cabrera to third. The sinking liner bounced off the diving Marte’s face, apparently the bridge of his nose, knocking him out of the game. Wilmer Flores then delivered with a bloop single over first base scoring Cabrera and sending Cespedes to third. This knocked Jeff Locke out of the game.
Awesomely named RHP Arquimedes Caminero came in to face Kelly Johnson, who proceeded to slap a single to left field, scoring Cespedes. He then struck out Matt Reynolds and James Loney before Rene Rivera smoked a base hit to left driving in a run. With runners on first and third and two outs, Noah Syndergaard walked to load the bases, bringing Curtis Granderson to the box as the 9th batter of the inning. He popped up to center field to end the inning, leaving the Mets with a 7-0 lead.
In the 6th inning, after a Cespedes rocket single to left field, Wilmer Flores added to the barrage with a two-run blast to left. Kelly Johnson legged out an infield single before James Loney beat the shift with a worm burner double down the left field line to score Johnson. The Mets went to the 7th inning leading 10-0.
Speaking of the 7th inning, Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes both had hits, but the Mets couldn’t get them across. In the 8th, however, Matt Reynolds hit a double and was scored by a Rene Rivers bloop single to right, giving the Mets a 11-0 lead.
The Mets offense exploded tonight, with Granderson, Cabrera, Cespedes, Flores, Johnson, Reynolds, and Rivera all notching multi-hit games.
Notes:
The Mets scored three runs in the first inning. This was the first time they have scored more than two runs in any inning since May 27th against the Dodgers.
The Mets’ 19 hits tonight is a season high.
The Pirates remain the only team that hasn’t been shut out this season.
When leading off, Curtis Granderson is batting .367 in his first at bats of those games.
Jeurys Familia continues to make me bite my nails in non-save situations. Why Terry continues to use him in non-save situations, I don’t know.
Verizon Trivia Question: Who was the first player to strike out in an at bat at Shea Stadium? Roberto Clemente. Huh, how ’bout that.
In Jeff Locke‘s last two starts, he has allowed 18 earned runs in only 8 2/3 innings… Ouch.
On Deck:
The Mets will send the ultra-sexy RHP Bartolo Colon (5-3, 3.08 ERA) to face off against the Pirates’ RHP Juan Nicasio (5-5, 5.34 ERA) Thursday night at 7:10 PM @ Citi Field.
