Pirates win 7-4 in Queens in zany affair

“Can’t anybody here play this game?” it was something Casey Stengel said about the infamous inaugural 1962 New York Mets. Last night it might have been something Mets manager was thinking as the Mets practically handed the Pirates the game on a silver platter. (Especially around the seventh inning.)

The left-handed Bailey Falter got the start for the Pirates as he went up against fellow lefty David Peterson, a single from Ke’Bryan Hayes was quickly nullified by a double play ball, two more runners reached but the Pirates couldn’t capitalize on them, something that would become a theme for most of this game.

Mets LF Brandon Nimmo led off the bottom of the first with a home run down the RF line on a 2-2 pitch. His 17th of the season.

The upcoming heart of the order went down quietly, and Falter limited the damage. It wasn’t long before the Bucs answered back in the form of a leadoff 412 foot shot off the bat of SS Liover Peguero.

Falter cruised through the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th innings but the Pirates simply could not get anything going on offense. Including a bases loaded one out jam where they struck out twice.

David Peterson was all over the place but never paid the price, walking six Pirates batters before being lifted in just the 4th for Jose Butto. The only damage to his name was the solo home run.

Falter went out to start the 6th, striking out Nimmo before allowing a single to Francisco Lindor and in a tie game that was the end of the leash as he was lifted for Colin Selby. Selby promptly induced a 5-4-3 double play ball from Pete Alonso ending the inning.

Then came the eventful 7th inning. Butto walked Andrew McCutchen before allowing a double to Connor Joe, Butto did get Henry Davis swinging but walked Peguero to load the bases, ending his night. Enter Grant Hartwig, he would be facing Jack Suwinski, pinch hitting for Joshua Palacios. It would later be announced Palacios was removed from the game with a “gastro-intestinal illness”. What follows was a near comedic series of pitching mistakes and fielding errors.

A bases loaded walk to Suwinski, scoring one, Triolo was hit by a pitch, scoring another, a passed ball scoring yet another and advancing Triolo to second and Suwinski to third. Then an opposite field double from Jason Delay plated two more. Hayes flied out to left for the second out but then Bryan Reynolds hit a single to center that Tim Locastro whiffed on that became a “triple” driving in Delay.

Buck Showalter had seen enough and again went to his pen. This time it was Drew Smith, who finally got the third out when he struck out Andrew McCutchen.

After the dust settled and ‘Entry of the gladiators’ had stopped playing the Pirates had sent nine men to the plate and scored six times.

Going into the bottom of the 7th with a six-run lead, Selby remained in the game. He walked Fransisco Alverez then allowed a pinch-hit bomb to DJ Stewart and promptly another homer to Johnathan Arauz making it 7-4. He got Denny Mendrick to strike out on a caught foul tip and walked Tim Locastro before being lifted for lefty Angel Perdomo who struck out Nimmo to end the inning.

Holderman struck out 2 in the 8th as he retired the side in order setting the stage for David Bednar to pick up his 25th save of the season.

Bednar struck out Jeff McNeil, allowed a DJ Stewart single, then retired both Arauz and Rafael Ortega pinch hitting for Denny Mendick to end the game. Moving the Pirates to 54-66.

Start time this afternoon is 1:10, the starting pitching matchup is Johan Oviedo vs Tylor Megill.