The New York Mets extended their win streak to four games Friday night, overcoming a 35-minute rain delay and a late bullpen scare to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 at PNC Park. New York improved to 51-66 on the season.
Zac Thornton delivered the bounce-back performance the Mets needed after a rough outing against Miami, tossing five scoreless innings on just 63 pitches. The 24-year-old left-hander scattered four hits and two walks while striking out three, lowering his season ERA to 2.52.
New York’s offense broke through in the third. A.J. Ewing started the rally with a single before Francisco Lindor walked, and Carson Benge brought home the game’s first run with a two-out single. After Jared Young singled, Marcus Semien launched a three-run homer to left, his second home run in as many games and 14th of the season.
Ewing finished 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and a stolen base, while Benge went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a stolen base before leaving with an apparent wrist injury after making a sliding catch near the left-field line. Lindor added an RBI single, two walks and a stolen base as the Mets went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The bullpen made things interesting late, with Dedniel Núñez and Devin Williams each allowing two runs. Daniel Duarte provided a scoreless eighth, while Jefry Yan escaped a ninth-inning threat by throwing out a runner at home.
The Mets continue the series Saturday at 6:40 p.m. Robert Stock (0-1, 1.80 ERA) is scheduled to face Bubba Chandler (4-8, 4.49 ERA).
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.