‘BULL’ MARKET!
Relievers Mejia, Black, not the ‘O’, key Mets win
Lamar Johnson can retire now as Mets hitting coach: The team is undefeated in his tenure.
But that is more a function of the Mets bullpen than any nuggets Johnson might have imparted on the lineup in his debut Tuesday.
Vic Black and Jenrry Mejia bailed out a stagnant lineup by combining for 3¹/₃ scoreless innings in the Mets’ 42 victory over the Pirates at Citi Field.
Johnson, who replaced fired Dave Hudgens as hitting coach, was careful before the game to downplay any effect he might have on a Mets lineup that hasn’t scored more than five runs in a nineinning game at Citi Field since April 5.
“These guys here, they are professional hitters — they have been playing this game a long time so they know their swing,” Johnson said. “I’m just here as another set of eyes to help them with things that they can’t see.”
The Mets (2328) left 10 runners on base and were 3for16 (.188) with runners in scoring position .
With the Mets bullpen thin, Mejia worked two scoreless innings for his fourth save. Mejia’s big pitch came in the eighth, when he got pinchhitter Pedro Alvarez to hit into an inningending double play with the tying runs on base.
“Now I’m ready for any situation that comes up,” said Mejia, who last week pitched backtoback games for the first time since moving from the rotation to bullpen. “I don’t worry about it.”
There was a heartbeat from the Mets in the sixth, when Juan Lagares stroked an RBI single to give the Mets a 32 lead and Daniel Murphy’s ensuing runscoring double against Jeanmar Gomez added insurance.
Black aced his first test of the season, firing 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings after the Pirates had scored twice against Jon Niese to make it 22.
Black, who arrived from TripleA Las Vegas to replace Jose Valverde — the veteran reliever was released Monday — walked Neil Walker to load the bases in the sixth before striking out pinchhitter Ike Davis to end the inning.
Niese needed 104 pitches to get through 5²/₃ innings in which he allowed two earned runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Starling Marte’s tworun single in the sixth spoiled Niese’s outing and tied it 22. Niese created his own jam, walking the bases loaded.
“It’s not what I wanted to do there, but Vic got out of it for me,” Niese said.
Lagares’ RBI double in the fourth extended the Mets’ lead to 20. Ruben Tejada, who reached base four times, doubled leading off the inning.
Bobby Abreu’s RBI single in the third put the Mets ahead 10. Murphy doubled with one out and Curtis Granderson walked to start the rally.
It was the third straight start for the 40yearold Abreu as the Mets continue to keep slumping Chris Young on the bench. Eric Young Jr. was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained right hamstring.