Mets Embarrassed by Pirates 14-2Mets Embarrassed by Pirates 14-2 Amid much fanfare and hype, the Mets faced highly-touted pitcher Paul Skenes on Friday night, only to suffer an embarrassing 14-2 defeat. Skenes, a first-round draft pick, impressed early on, retiring 11 of 12 batters. However, the Mets managed to stay ahead until the seventh inning, with Jeff McNeil hitting a solo homer and DJ Stewart adding a sacrifice fly. The Pirates’ offense exploded in the late innings, hitting a team-record seven home runs, including two grand slams. Luis Severino endured his worst start of the season, giving up seven runs in six innings. The Mets’ defense also crumbled, with Jake Diekman surrendering a grand slam to Bryan Reynolds in the seventh inning. The situation deteriorated so badly that manager Carlos Mendoza called on backup catcher Luis Torrens to take the mound in the eighth inning. Despite the hype surrounding Skenes, the Mets offense struggled against the 22-year-old, grounding into double plays in potential rally situations. The loss marks the third straight for the Mets (42-44), who have now lost five of their last seven games. Francisco Alvarez was struck by a 99-mph fastball from Skenes in the fourth inning, but remained in the game. About the Author: Tim Healey is the Mets reporter for Newsday. He has also authored “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the Northeast.
PITTSBURGH — Maybe the Mets can attribute this to The Paul Skenes Experience.
Facing the most hyped pitching team in more than a decade — a blazing right-handed pitcher whose results so far match the excitement — the Mets were embarrassed 14-2 by the Pirates on Friday night.
Skenes had to endure part of his performance, but finished with a nice score: seven innings, two runs, eight strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Pirates’ hitters hit a team-record seven home runs, including two grand slams. Luis Severino had his worst start of the year, giving up seven runs in six innings and more. The final three came when Jake Diekman got a bases-loaded, no-out jam and promptly gave up a grand slam to Bryan Reynolds.
All in all, it marked the third straight loss for the Mets (42-44), who have lost five of their last seven games.
The Mets trailed 4-2 in the seventh inning — still a winnable game — before surrendering 10 runs in less than two innings. The situation deteriorated so badly that manager Carlos Mendoza called on backup catcher Luis Torrens to take the mound and score the final out of the eighth inning.
But Skenes was the headliner — at least at first. Drafted first overall out of LSU last July, he ventured to the minors and made his major debut in May to the biggest fanfare of any pitcher since Stephen Strasburg (2010).
The first impression was striking: 5-0 record, 2.12 ERA, 1.01 WHIP in 10 starts. He’s collected 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings with the aid of a fastball that routinely tops 100 mph. Along the way, he’s offered optimism to a franchise and fan base eager to get to the other side of a lengthy rebuild.
This time, it drew a crowd of 37,037, bringing a stadium buzz the Mets had missed during their trips here in recent years. It was only the second time PNC Park had sold out the season, following the Pirates’ home opener.
The Mets had some early success, including getting two runners on base with one out in both the second and third innings. Both potential rallies ended in double plays, first on Jose Iglesias’ ground ball and then on JD Martinez’s line drive to first baseman Rowdy Tellez.
But Jeff McNeil put the Mets ahead with a solo homer in the third. DJ Stewart added a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Skenes settled in shortly thereafter, retiring 11 of his last 12 batters, finishing with a season-high 107 pitches.
Conversely, Severino made it look easy early on against the Pirates (42-45), who have a bottom-10 offense. They really gave Severino trouble in the fourth round, when Tellez and Jack Suwinski hit solo shots.
Reynolds put Pittsburgh ahead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Severino took the mound in the seventh inning with a modest 81 pitches, but recorded no outs. Yasmani Grandal doubled over the head of center fielder Harrison Bader to lead off. Then Michael A. Taylor singled, his third hit in three attempts. When Severino walked Joshua Palacias to load the bases, Mendoza decided to go with Diekman.
Taylor hit 4-for-4 home runs, raising his batting average from .190 to .210.
In the fourth inning, Francisco Alvarez was in a lot of pain after being hit on his left elbow by a 99-mph fastball from Skenes. He stayed in the game, though, and the scary part seemed to be just that.
Alvarez wore an elbow pad during his next at-bat.
Tim Healey is the Mets reporter for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the Northeast.
