On Memorial Day in Flushing, NY, the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-27) scored five in the final two innings to earn a comeback victory against the New York Mets (22-28).
After squandering a number of opportunities in the early innings against rookie Jacob deGrom, Gaby Sanchez hit a pinch-hit solo home run off of Scott Rice to lead off the eighth inning, cutting a 2-0 Mets lead in half. Later in the inning, against flame-throwing reliever Jose Valverde, Jose Tabata drove in Starling Marte to tie the game.
Tony Watson (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and would get his fifth win in as many decisions when a Sanchez single in the ninth scored Neil Walker. A throwing error on the play also allowed Andrew McCutchen to score and Sanchez would score a batter later when Russell Martin singled him home, giving Pittsburgh a 5-2 lead.
New York’s Lucas Duda homered off of Mark Melancon in the ninth, but it would not be enough as Melancon got the next three Mets to complete his tenth save of the season. Valverde (1-1) was tagged with the loss for New York.
Brandon Cumpton provided a quality start for the Pirates, allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings on seven hits in the no decision. He walked one and struck out one, and is now 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA on the season in three spot starts. This latest performance should certainly be enough to keep him in the rotation, at least temporarily. He was just called up again from AAA Indianapolis to make this start, after last week’s release of veteran Wandy Rodriguez.
Former Met Ike Davis made his first start as a Pirate against his former team. He went 0-2 with a walk and was pinch hit for in the eighth against Rice, a lefty. That move proved very valuable, as pinch hitter Gaby Sanchez hit the home run and finished his day 2-2 with two runs and two RBI.
The Pirates are now 7-14 on the road, winning two straight away from PNC Park dating back to a victory in New York on May 18 against the Yankees. They have won five of six and play two more at Citi Field against the Mets. Tomorrow evening, Edinson Volquez (2-4) takes on Jonathan Niese (3-3) at 7:10 pm.
