NOT SO FAB 4-TEEN
It’s a hard day’s night as Mets lose to Bucs in extras
TERRY COLLINS was singing something akin to “Can’t Buy Me Runs” in the moments after the Mets’ frustrating 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh in 14 innings Saturday night, which would have been appropriate considering it was the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ famous gig at Shea. After hitting two home runs in the seventh inning to tie the score, the Mets were happy enough to Twist and Shout and thought their momentum was a Ticket to Ride to an important victory on what Collins had billed as a “big weekend.” But the Mets needed, um, more Help and couldn’t get it against the Pirates’ stingy bullpen.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said starter Jon Niese, who allowed three runs in six innings. “You know what? We battled out there and had a chance to win both games. We know we’re confident going into (Sunday) with (Matt) Harvey on the mound. We’re going to get after it.”
Pinch-hitter Chris Stewart singled in the go-ahead run off lefty Sean Gilmartin with no outs in the 14th. Gilmartin had thrown a perfect 13th, but stumbled with an extra inning of work. He allowed a leadoff double by Francisco Cervelli, and then Daniel Murphy tried to throw out Cervelli at third on a fielder’s choice grounder but failed, setting up Stewart’s hit.
Quite a night for ex-Yankee catchers, eh? After Stewart’s single, Sean Rodriguez plated an insurance run with a bloop RBI single of his own.
It was the second straight evening of taut, bonus-frame baseball between the two contenders and perhaps offered the Mets a referendum on what might be coming if they can hold their lead in the National League East and reach the postseason.
The Pirates are turning into a quite a nemesis for the Mets, although that can be said for the NL Central in general, too. The Mets are 0-5 against Pittsburgh this year and 9-19 against the division.
Niese said he was “going crazy” when rookie Michael Conforto homered, a tworun shot to right that tied the score at 3. Earlier in the inning, Juan Uribe had homered to center off Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton, giving the Mets a singleseason club record for homers at Citi Field. The 2012 Mets set the mark at 67.
Conforto said his trip around the bases as the crowd roared was “like a flash. Indescribable, something I’ll never forget.”
“That was a great swing, a great moment in the game,” Niese added. “At that point, I thought we were going to scrape a run in and finish it out. But they have a good pen. They have a good team over there, and the last two games it just goes to show you what kind of teams both of us are.”
Pittsburgh’s bullpen threw 7.2 shutout innings while the Mets’ relievers worked eight innings and allowed two runs, highlighted by Hansel Robles’ three scoreless frames.
Yoenis Cespedes also provided another highlight, showing off his arm to nail Rodriguez when the Pirates utility man unwisely tried to stretch a double into a triple in the ninth. From the warning track in deep left-center, Cespedes, who has done remarkable things with his arm at other stops in his career, nailed Rodriguez with a one-hop missile.
The play electrified the crowd of 38,878 and tamped down a potential Pirate threat. Cespedes grinned and nodded his head after the play.
“They say he’s special,” Collins said.
“We’re seeing lots of signs of it.”
The Pirates took an early lead against Niese, who had been on a roll. Niese was visibly upset in the first inning when he did not get a call on a close full-count pitch to Andrew McCutchen with two out. What happened next was even worse, though.
After Niese missed — at least according to plate umpire Bob Davidson — against McCutchen, he gave up a two-run homer to Aramis Ramirez on the very next pitch. It was Ramirez’s third career homer off Niese in 22 at-bats.
Niese and Davidson jawed after the inning was over, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud attempted to play peacemaker as Niese stalked off.
“It is what it is,” Niese said. “You have to go with the calls that are made. I tried to execute pitch one, but (Ramirez) kind of ambushed me there and made a good swing. It is what it is.”
Afterward, Murphy was hard on himself for trying to peg Cervelli at third, saying, “It was the wrong play. I put Gilly (Gilmartin) in a bad spot.”
It was all part of — with apologies to the Fab Four — A Hard Day’s Night.