Homers by Bell and Polanco lift Pirates past the reeling Mets

New York — Josh Bell hit a two-run homer, Gregory Polanco also went deep and the Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of some dreadful defense by the New York Mets to snap a five-game losing streak with a 6- 4 victory Monday night.

In a series opener between tumbling teams, Pittsburgh built a fiverun lead and held on to hand the Mets their seventh straight defeat before a mostly quiet crowd of 22,135. New York is 6-24 in its last 30 games — and that 11-1 start to the season feels like ancient history.

Playing at home has hardly helped. The reeling Mets (31- 45) have lost 14 of 15 at Citi Field, falling to 13-25 in their own ballpark this season.

Jameson Taillon (5-6) took a twohit shutout into the seventh inning against a makeshift Mets lineup be- fore New York tried to rally. Consecutive doubles by Jose Reyes and Kevin Plawecki chased Taillon, and a threerun homer by pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores off Tyler Glasnow trimmed Pittsburgh's lead to 5-4.

Steven Brault entered and threw seven straight balls before recovering to strike out Jose Bautista on a pitch in the dirt. Brault then got Asdrubal Cabrera to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Cabrera also committed an earlier error at second base.

Kyle Crick pitched out of trouble in the eighth, and Elias Diaz provided an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.