Pitching, Infield Brutal In 12-6 Spanking By the Mets

David Freese made a nice play to retire the first Met, though it took a review to prove it. With two outs, Michael Conforto doubled on an 0-2 changeup. Nick Kingham then got socked by Wilmer Flores, who yanked another change down the line and into the first row to put the Bucs in a quick hole. NY got a walk and a knock before the third out. Steven Katz whiffed a pair, walked Gregory and then served a long ball on an 0-2 count to Freeser that he dropped 400' over the RC wall to tie. In the second, Devin Mesoraco walked; two outs later, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled off an 0-2 curve to regain the lead. Two more Bucs fanned in a 1-2-3 frame. Kingham walked the leadoff hitter in the third and a double put him in more hot water. A whiff was followed by a semi-intentional walk to load 'em up; a sac fly brought a run home before the page turned. J-Low singled with an out and jogged home after J-Hay drilled a 3-2 curve over the LF fence. A walk and a boot with two gone put Bucs at second and third, where they died.

Fraze had a couple of hits tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Nick came out for the fourth at 71 pitches. Number 72 became a leadoff single and pitch 74 (yes, a change) was sent into the stands by Cabrera; Clint has allowed The King way too much rope and finally waved in Tyler Glasnow. J-Hay booted a ball and the runner moved up on a grounder. Then came grounder, walk, grounder, walk and throwing error by Freeser, allowing one more tally; J-Bell saved another by running down the wayward toss and getting the back runner at home. Matz struck out the side; he has nine punchouts in four IP. Ty only walked one guy in the fifth, so yay. The Bucs went 1-2-3. The sixth was quiet, too; the Mets got a knock erased on a swipe try. Ric Rod came in for the seventh and gave up four singles - one was a bunt and another off J-Bell's glove, a walk, two wild pitches and three more runs. The Bucs got a S-Rod walk and Jordy DP to kill a chance at a big inning as Fraze doubled and J-Low tripled afterward to get a run back with Paul Sewald on the bump.

Michael Feliz came in to work the eighth. A double came around on a pair of flies; a bopped batter was stranded. Jerry Blevin got the call; a one-out walk was erased on another DP. More of the same for Feliz in the ninth, with a leadoff double, wild pitch and another sac fly. He also gave up a single that didn't hurt; Cervy added a dropped foul pop during the frame. Drew Smith was the mop-up man. Jordy doubled with two outs and a Fraze two-bagger brought him home before the final chime struck.

So let's see...14 hits, nine walks, three errors, three wild pitches, two GIDP, and the Mets even stranded 12 runners *ugh-ly* Let's hope the Pirates got it all out of their system (and that no little leaguer who saw the game will think this is how the big boys play the game.)

Notes:

• Fraze (two doubles) and J-Low (single, triple) each had a pair of knocks. Additionally, Luplow made a couple of nice grabs in the outfield.
• It took Pirates pitchers 193 tosses to get through nine innings.
• There were 21,981 in the house tonight.
• Steven Matz's nine strikeouts represent his career single-game high.