Buccos Drop 10 Inning Decision To Mets 4-3

With one out, Steven Matz bopped Austin Meadows up high on a 3-2 pitch; the trainer checked him out and sent him on his way to first. Three pitches later, J-Hay bounced into a DP. Joey Bats opened with a knock off Chad Kuhl, and he went to second two outs later on a wild pitch, followed by a four-pitch walk and another wild pitch. Wilmer Flores slapped a 3-1 slider into left, scoring the pair, and ended up on third when Eli airmailed a throw trying to catch Flores heading to second. Kuhl got out of it with no additional blood-letting despite Diaz dropping a foul pop behind the plate. Sheesh, first innings. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the second. The Mets got a one-out rap; he was bunted to second but got no further. No Bucco reached in the third; they have yet to hit a ball to the outfield. The first Metropolitan drew a free pass but stayed anchored at first. Not a peep from Pittsburgh in the fourth; they've K'ed five times already.

Chad left with a sore wing (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

With an out, Freeser botched a roller. The trainer came out to check on Kuhl after two outs and gave him the OK, then Chad tossed a wild pitch, which was followed by a steal. Kuhl fanned Matz; in between the mishaps, he also has five K jobs. Yay, Freeser opened the fifth with bouncer into right and Eli doubled him to third. Joey O fought off an 0-2 pitch and rolled an RBI knock to left. Gregory dropped a dying quail into center and it was tied, but with no outs the Bucs couldn't add anything on, largely due to, of all people, Joey Bats, who made a running grab of J-Bell's ball down the RF line. Ric Rod came on - Bell hit for Chad - and tossed a clean frame after the Bucs challenged a trap call on an El Coffee grab and had it ruled a legit catch. It took a dozen tosses to put away the Pirates in the sixth. Ric Rod gave up an opening rap and two-out wild pitch, followed by a plunked batter, finally serving up a fly ball to quiet the seas.

The Met pen is such a mess that they kept Matz in for the seventh at 96 tosses. Almost worked, too - he got two outs, one a bullet, before Gregory went yard on a 3-2 curve; it a good pitch, inside half and down, that El Coffee tracked and golfed out. Edgar Santana got the ball but couldn't keep the lead; he gave up a dinger to Michael Conforto off a fastball with two away. Anthony Swarzak got the eighth; an AM walk and J-Hay bunt single put him in one-out hot water and brought on Jeurys Familia. With his pick of lefties on the bench, Clint stuck with Freeser, who bounced into a force featuring a hard but textbook slide by J-Hay, which led to a union meeting at the mound after Familia (not Asdrubal Cabrera, who bore the brunt) started yapping. After picket duty ended, Eli walked on four pitches to fill the bases, but Joey O's bouncer doused the fire.

Gregory is coming around... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Kyle Crick climbed the hill and Cabrera dropped a single into right, but a couple of at 'em balls sandwiched around a whiff left him there. The Bucs managed a two-out Corey D knock off Familia in the ninth that led nowhere. Steven Brault tossed a quiet frame and into overtime we go. Tim Peterson worked a calm 10th. Conforto walked to begin the Mets' half, then Todd Frazier rolled a single through the left side. The Metropolitans decided to bunt; Cabrera popped one foul that Eli again failed to grab, but the second was in the air, too, and Steven cradled it. It only delayed the inevitable; Wilmer Flores singled up the 3B line off a knee-high fastball (and the ump, who was in fair territory) to give the Mets the win.

The Pirates pitching gave up eight hits and fanned 10; they also walked three, hit one and tossed four wild pitches while the fielders committed three errors. The attack was AWOL again; this team is pretty bad right now.

Notes:

• Gregory, who came into the game hitting .196 against LHP, had two hits and two RBI; Freeser had a hit and a walk. The Bucs had seven knocks.
• Chad Kuhl was removed from the game after four frames with "right forearm discomfort," per the Pirates. We'll have to keep an eye on him; that general description often spells trouble.