Mets rally back; degrom on IL
PITTSBURGH — Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to complete a huge comeback as the New York Mets overcame an embarrassing gaffe by All-star pitcher Taijuan Walker to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Sunday afternoon.
Trailing 6-0 in the first inning, the Mets rallied to salvage a rugged weekend at PNC Park. The NL East leaders lost stars Jacob degrom and Francisco Lindor to injuries, then dropped Saturday night’s game when closer Edwin Diaz gave up a two-out grand slam in the ninth that capped Pittsburgh’s six-run comeback.
Conforto connected off closer Richard Rodriguez (4-2), who blew his third save in 16 opportunities. Dominic Smith led off the ninth with a single and Conforto followed with his fourth homer of the season.
The Mets lost four of seven to Pittsburgh in a pair of series surrounding the All-star break.
Walker, who pitched in the All-star Game on Tuesday night, hurt himself with a huge misplay in the first inning.
Bryan Reynolds hit an RBI single and John Nogowski doubled for a quick 3-0 lead, and two walks
loaded the bases with one out.
Kevin Newman hit a dribbler down the third base line and the ball started out in foul territory, but then began spinning back toward the line.
Walker swooped in and swatted at the ball, trying to make contact while it was still in foul ground. But TV replays showed the ball was touching the chalk when Walker hit it, and plate umpire Jeremy Riggs correctly called it a fair ball.
Walker turned to argue the call as the ball rolled toward the Pirates dugout, and no Mets reacted to retrieve it. The three Pittsburgh runners took off and kept running, and all came around to score.
Walker said he tried to swat the ball into the dugout.
“Obviously, I thought it was foul,” Walker said.
“It was so close. I didn’t realize it was still in play,” he said. “It was one of those plays that just happen. Crazy play.”
Mets manager Luis Rojas immediately
ran out to argue the call and was quickly ejected. Walker was charged with an error on the play, while Newman was credited with a single and one RBI.
After walking pitcher JT Brubaker, Walker was pulled from the game. He allowed six runs, four hits and four walks while recording just one out.
The Mets began to rally with Smith’s RBI single in the third. In the fourth, pinch hitter Travis Blankenhorn hit his first major league homer, a three-run shot to the riverwalk beyond right-center field to make it 6-4.
Jeff Mcneil scored on right fielder Gregory Polanco’s throwing error in the sixth to bring the Mets to within a run.
Jeurys Familia (5-1) pitched two innings for the win, and Trevor May worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his second save.
The Mets placed degrom on the 10-day injured list with right forearm tightness. The ace had been scheduled to start Sunday, but was scratched. An MRI revealed no structural damage.
He first experienced the tightness
before the All-star Game and determined on Friday that he would be unable to make his scheduled start on Sunday.
Degrom underwent an MRI on Friday that confirmed the issue is in his forearm and that there is no structural damage to his elbow. Rojas said the injury is not related to the forearm flexor injury that degrom had earlier this season.
“I’m frustrated,” degrom said. “I don’t know what else to say. I guess it’s good news whenever structurally, everything looks good, but ... the level of frustration now is really high.”
He has also battled through back, lat and shoulder injuries this season, but has maintained a major league-best 1.08 ERA.
The Mets have not announced a corresponding transaction and Rojas said the team does not yet have a plan for who will start the first two games of a series at Cincinnati starting Monday.
The IL stint will be backdated. He will be eligible to return July 25, in the midst of a stretch of 18 games in 17 days for the Mets.