Mets Take It To Skenes, Then Win It On Walk Off

 

Paul Skenes fires one in to Juan Soto in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets, in first place in the National League East with possibly the best lineup in baseball, battled the Pittsburgh Pirates and their ace, Paul Skenes, one of the best young starting pitchers, in front of 35,580 fans on Monday night at Citi Field.

Skenes, last year's National League Rookie of the Year, entered this one with a record of 3-4 and a 2.77 ERA (earned run average), while striking out 47 hitters in 48 2/3 innings, allowing 15 earned runs (17 overall) on 34 hits and 12 walks.

Francisco Lindor greeted Skenes with a laser to center field for a single. Juan Soto then drew a walk on just five pitches to give the Mets a big chance immediately, with two runners on base and none out.

Juan Soto was brushed back by a Paul Skenes pitch in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

Skenes then got Pete Alonso to bounce into a double play. With Lindor advancing to third base on that, Brandon Nimmo struck out to end the frame.

David Peterson, who has become one of the Mets' reliable starting pitchers, was on the mound for them, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa led off the top of the second with a solo home run to left-center field to make it 1-0 Pittsburgh.

The Mets were right back at it against Skenes in the bottom half of the frame, as Mark Vientos singled and Francisco Alvarez drew a one-out walk. 

Brett Baty then struck out, and Luisangel Acuna grounded into a force out to end the threat.

Brett Baty taking a strike from Paul Skenes. Photo by Jason Schott.

Skenes had a clean inning in the third, as he got Lindor to ground out to second base, Soto to hit a liner to right field, and Alonso to ground out to shorstop.

Nimmo opened the bottom of the fourth with a double to center field, and then after Vientos struck out, Jeff McNeil crushed one into the right field corner to bring Nimmo in and tie the game at 1.

Jeff McNeil approaching second base on his double that brought Brandon Nimmo home. Photo by Jason Schott.

Alvarez then grounded out and Baty flew out to left field to end the frame.

Meanwhile, Peterson did not allow a runner after the Kiner-Falefa homer until Jared Triolo doubled with one out in the fifth, ending a run in which the left-hander retired ten straight Pirates.

Ke'Bryan Hayes then got a two-out single to give the Pirates runners at first and third, but Bryan Reynolds struck out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, Skenes got Acuna to pop one up into shallow right field that second baseman Triolo made a beautiful running grab on for the first out.

Lindor followed with a single, his second hit of the night, before Skenes struck out Soto and Alonso, both swinging.

Pete Alonso swinging and missing to strike out against Skenes to end the fifth. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets rallied in the sixth, as Vientos hit a one-out ground-rule double down the right field line, followed by a Jeff McNeil walk.

Skenes then got Alvarez to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame, and his night.

The right-hander's final line was: 6 innings, 6 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, and he threw 92 pitches (56 strikes), while lowering his ERA to 2.63.

Peterson came out to start the seventh inning, which he did with a walk of Triolo before exiting.

Jose Butto relieved Peterson, and Triolo started his trip around the bases, as he stole second, took third on a disengagement violation (yes, even though the games aren't any quicker anymore, there still is the pitch clock), and came home when Bryan Reynolds bounced into a force out to make it 2-1 Pittsburgh.

Caleb Ferguson entered for the Pirates in the bottom half of the seventh, and he opened the frame by hitting Tyrone Taylor with a pitch, and he then stole second base, took third on a single from Acuna, and scored on a Soto ground out at first.

Colin Holderman was next on for the Pirates, and Alonso lined one to third that bounced off the edge of Hayes' glove, allowing him to reach on a single and Acuna to score and make it 3-2 Mets.

When Pittsburgh scored in the top of the seventh, it lined up Skenes for the win, but in a sign he is the new Jacob deGrom, as his 3-4 record shows he gets little run support, when the Mets tied and then took the lead, he was set with a no-decision.

It stayed that way until the ninth when Huascar Brazoban came on to close it out for the Mets. Alexander Canario greeted him with a single (Ji Hwan Bae went in to run for him), and then Triolo reached on a fielder's choice, as Lindor made an error trying to get the force out at second.

Henry Davis then sacrificed bunted them to second and third base, which was followed by a Hayes single to bring in Bae and tie it at 3.

Reynolds grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.

David Bednar entered for the Pirates in the ninth, and with one out, Lindor reached on a Kiner-Falefa error, and he then got to third on a Soto single.

Alonso was up next looking to win it, which he did on a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Lindor and give the Mets (27-15) their second win in a row, and fourth in five games.