METS ARE REALLY CLEANING UP NOW
Sweep Pirates to finish home stand 5-1, now head west
Sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the word “SWEEP” was written in the sand on the shuffleboard table that sits just inside the entrance of the Mets clubhouse. Call it a premonition or encouragement, whatever it was, it worked.
The Mets finished off a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 9-1 win on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field.
“Really good homestand for us,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “The Pirates came into town pretty hot. That’s a good team there. But we’re playing well too. We were able to come back today after we got behind again, so it’s really good to see the team continue to play well. Now, we’ve got to get ready for our West Coast trip.”
Starling Marte hit career home run No. 150 and Harrison Bader hit the first of his season, while Luis Severino gave up only one unearned run to help the Mets win their fourth straight and move to 10-8 on the season. They’re 10-3 since their 0-5 start to the season with seven of those wins coming in comeback fashion.
This winning streak is coming at a good time with the team heading to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers this weekend and San Francisco next week. The Mets have faced some good teams so far this season, but only one truly elite team in the Atlanta Braves. Facing the Dodgers on the road will be a big litmus test.
“There isn’t a soft spot on the schedule anymore,” Mendoza said. “It’s one good team after another.”
Severino (2-1) gave up an unearned run in the top of the third but faced only little traffic the rest of the way through his six-inning outing. The defense helped him out by turning three double plays. The right-hander scattered five hits, all singles, and walked three while striking out four.
Making it to six innings for the first time this season was huge for Severino.
“It’s important for the starters to help provide some length,” Mendoza said. “It’s been one of those where his pitch counts only let him go five innings. Today, he went out for that sixth inning with 85 pitches, and I felt comfortable because the velo was there. It’s important that the starters will give us some wins because he’s a long season and we have to protect some guys back there.”
Over his last three starts, the former Yankees ace has allowed only two earned runs in 16 innings. Adding a sweeper and a cutter has helped add depth to his pitching, and his fastball now has more ride after working with Driveline over the winter.
“Hitters now, they see rotation,” Severino said. “Sometimes they see rotation and they swing. I’ve got the ability to throw that cutter for strikes and throw the sweeper too.”
Zack Short walked to lead off the bottom of the third and with two outs, Marte teed off on left-hander Bailey Falter (1-1), putting the Mets ahead 2-1.
Tyrone Taylor and Bader blew the game open in the sixth. Right-hander Hunter Stratton started the season about as well as the Pirates (11-8) could have hoped, having not allowed a walk in 7 ⅓ innings. But he gave up a leadoff single to Francisco Lindor and walked Pete Alonso to put two on with none out. Jeff McNeil advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt and Stratton got Francisco Alvarez to pop up to second base.
Stratton was nearly out of the inning, but Taylor got a fastball on the outside corner of the plate and lined it into left to score two. Bader drove the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence. It was a high fly that the entire crowd knew was out just by the sound and it stayed fair for a two-run homer.
The Mets scored three more in the bottom of the eighth off Pirates closer David Bednar.
“We’re playing with a lot of energy,” Marte said through a translator. “We’re all supporting each other.”
Jorge Lopez, Jake Diekman and Grant Hartwig each threw scoreless innings to close the game out. The Mets were able to stay away from their high-leverage arms in the last two games of the series, so with an off day Thursday they should have a loaded bullpen to be able to work with against the Dodgers.
The Mets haven’t completely cured all that has ailed them. There was some sloppy defense at times and spotty command from Severino, as is evidenced by the three walks.
But once again, the relentless late-inning approach prevailed in the end.
“We’re doing great,” Severino said. “We’ve got redhot bats, we’re scoring a lot of runs. The defense was unbelievable today, I think they turned like three double plays. I think we are where we want to be.”