After wanting unbeatable a month in the past, the Mets couldn’t beat the second-worst crew within the Nationwide League.
To be honest, the sequence had already been gained and the situations had been lower than splendid. The Mets battled rain, wind and a few questionable umpiring Wednesday evening at Citi Area, in a 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, solely the second shutout lack of the season and the primary in additional than a month (April 9 vs. the Miami Marlins).
Clay Holmes gave the bullpen six innings when it appeared like he’d be performed for within the fifth, which was a victory in and of itself. However that was the one victory of the evening for the house crew. Holmes, who had given up just one house run all season previous to Wednesday, gave up two house runs whereas the Bucs and their bullpen shut down the Mets.
After a 15-minute delay to the beginning of the sport, the rain began as soon as once more within the backside of the primary. The Mets loaded the bases on left-hander Bailey Falter, however Luis Torrens struck out to finish the inning.
The rain picked up steadily within the high of the second. Holmes received the primary two out earlier than giving up a single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. He had Matt Gorski on 0-2, and threw a slider that the primary baseman laid off. It ought to have been strike 3, with the pitch touchdown within the glove of Torrens slightly below the highest of the zone, however house plate umpire Carlos Torres dominated it a ball.
Holmes then threw a sweeper up. Larger than the slider, it might have been thought-about a borderline pitch, but it surely was dominated ball 2. Ball 3 was reliable, nowhere close to the zone. Gorski fouled off the sixth pitch to work the rely full.
He didn’t miss on the second pitch, a sweeper over the guts of the plate. Pittsburgh went up 2-0 on Gorski’s second house run of the season.
Heading into the underside of the second, the grounds crew got here out to dry the sphere. The rain began to taper off because the diamond dry was utilized to the filth and the sport was paused for a number of minutes. When play resumed, Falter struck out the primary two hitters he confronted, then walked Jose Azocar and picked him off first base.
It was that type of evening for the Mets (28-16).
They loaded the bases on Falter once more within the fourth inning, however interim supervisor Don Kelly performed it conservative by going to his bullpen for Chase Shugart to counter Azocar. Falter had solely thrown 78 pitches, however with 5 walks, he wasn’t precisely exhibiting sturdy management.
Shugart, a right-hander, received Azocar to pop as much as middle area.
The Mets managed solely 4 hits off Falter and none had been hit significantly arduous. Shugart (2-3) and right-handers Tanner Rainey, Jared Bednar and Dennis Santana held them scoreless the remainder of the way in which to assist the Pirates (15-29) to only their third win this month.
Jared Triolo hit a two-run homer with none out within the fifth. Holmes then put two on earlier than getting Joey Bart to floor right into a double play.
Holmes (5-2) went six innings, permitting 4 runs on seven hits, strolling one and placing out 4, although one might make the argument that it might have been 5.
