Mets cruise to easy 7-2 win against Pirates

Tyler Glasnow came unglued after a good start and the Pirates’ offense once again failed to show up against a vulnerable pitcher as the Mets stomped the home team, 7-2. The pasting left the Pirates with a series loss against a slumping (well, now formerly slumping) team that’s been ravaged by injuries.

Gregory Polanco’s third HR leading off the second gave the Pirates the early lead, but they had little success otherwise against the struggling Matt Harvey. Their only other chance during Harvey’s six innings came in the fourth, when singles by David Freese and Andrew McCutchen, and a wild pitch, put runners on second and third with one out. But that opportunity ended the way so many have this year, as Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer both struck out. Otherwise, all of the Bucs’ baserunners against Harvey came with two out. In fact, apart from the fourth, they had somebody reach base against him with two out in every inning but the first.

Glasnow pitched very well for three innings, giving up a two-out double in the first and getting the side in order in the second and third. After that, he simply started getting hammered. A two-out double by Asdrubal Cabrera drove in a pair of runs in the fourth. In the fifth, a single by Glasnow’s mound opponent started a string of four hits, the last a two-run double by Jay Bruce that made it 5-1. Glasnow’s problem wasn’t his usual issue with the strike zone; he just got hit hard.

Glasnow came out for a pinch hitter in the fifth and the White Flag Legion took over. Jhan Marinez, whose attraction for the Pirates isn’t readily apparent, got banged around for two innings, giving up two runs. Johnny Barbato managed two scoreless innings. The Pirates got an RBI double from David Freese in the 8th, but that’s all. They went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded ten.

The Pirates next host Arizona, which has won ten of its last twelve.