Mets Blown Out Again In Pittsburgh 9-2

Getting blown out once to the Pittsburgh Pirates is one thing; getting blown out twice in back-to-back games is another. That’s what the New York Mets have done this weekend. After winning the last two games against the Atlanta Braves, the Mets have come back down to Earth against a team they should beat. After a lengthy rain delay, Paul Blackburn struggled, and the offense, once again, couldn’t score consistently with runners on base as New York lost 9-2 to the Pirates on Saturday.

Paul Blackburn Struggles After Rain Delay

Blackburn looked effective in the first inning, but after a long rain delay, manager Carlos Mendoza decided to leave Blackburn in, but that came back to bite him. Blackburn allowed five consecutive hits and wasn’t able to finish the inning as Mendoza took him out for José Buttó. Blackburn, since coming back from the injured list, has an ERA of 7.71. 

Brazoban Can’t Find The Strikezone

Huascar Brazobán has struggled lately, and his struggles continued on Saturday. Brazoban was given the ball with the Mets behind 3-2. However, Brazoban in the 8th inning gave up a hit and two walks before allowing an RBI single to Ke’Bryan Hayes to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead. Brazobán was relieved for Colin Poche after the Hayes RBI single. In the month, Brazobán has an ERA of 13.50, and he’s walked 12 batters. Poche struggled in relief, and the Pirates pulled away.

Mets’ Offense Struggles With Runners On Base Again

A big stat in this game has been the difference between the Pirates with runners in scoring position and the Mets with runners in scoring position. In this series, the Pirates are 12-for-29 with runners in scoring position. The Mets are 2-for-17. That’s the difference in this series. The Pirates, a team that has struggled mightily on offense all season, are outhitting a team with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, and Mark Vientos in the lineup. The Mets had more opportunities on Saturday, but again struggled to get the big hit when it was a one-run ballgame. Soto and Nimmo did get runs with guys on base, but mistakes like Brett Baty getting caught on the base paths cost the team.  

Waddell, Butto, and Garrett Step Up

On the positive note, Buttó, Waddell, and Garrett pitched six scoreless innings to keep the Mets in the game. Waddell went three shutout innings with three strikeouts. They did what they could to give the Mets a chance to win.

Player of The Game: Brandon Waddell

Brandon Waddell truly was the only bright spot of this game. He stepped up big with 3 strikeouts in three shutout innings. 

On Deck:

Frankie Montas takes the mound for the Mets on Sunday afternoon and will face Mike Burrows of the Pirates. The game will be telecast at 1:35 p.m. EDT on WPIX and broadcast on Audacy Mets Radio, WHSQ 880 AM. 

The post Mets Blown Out Again In Pittsburgh 9-2 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.