The Sports Xchange
Jun 4, 2017
NEW YORK -- Rookie Trevor Williams allowed one run in a career-high seven innings Sunday afternoon and David Freese collected three hits and three RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates cruised past the New York Mets 11-1 at Citi Field.
The Pirates (26-31) took two of three from the Mets (24-31).
Williams (3-3), who lasted six innings for the first time as a major leaguer in his previous start on Monday, scattered seven hits and issued two walks while striking out three. He induced three double plays and retired 12 of the final 15 batters he faced.
Freese gave the Pirates a lead they never relinquished with an RBI single in the first inning. He added a sacrifice fly in the third and an unusual RBI single in the seventh.
John Jaso appeared to hit into an inning-ending double play, but Pittsburgh challenged -- after "God Bless America" was performed during the seventh-inning stretch -- that Mets second baseman Neil Walker never touched the bag on the first out. The play was overturned to set the stage for Freese's hit.
Josh Bell had a run-scoring groundout in the first inning, Jaso laced an RBI double in the third and Adam Frazier had an RBI single in the fourth for the Pirates, who added five runs in the final two innings on a run-scoring fielder's choice by Phil Gosselin and a sacrifice fly by Frazier in the eighth and Andrew McCutchen's three-run homer in the ninth.
McCutchen and Francisco Cervelli each had three hits.
The Mets scored their run in the second, when Wilmer Flores doubled, went to third on Curtis Granderson's single and scored when Travis d'Arnaud hit into a double play. Flores, Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce had two hits each.
Tyler Pill (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned), eight hits and no walks while striking out four in five innings.
NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins said RHP Seth Lugo (elbow) and LHP Steven Matz (elbow) are expected to come off the disabled list and join the rotation on Saturday and Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Lugo and Matz have been on the disabled list all season. ... Mets 2B Neil Walker went 0-for-3 as his nine-game hitting streak against the Pirates -- his former team -- ended. ... Pirates 2B Josh Harrison was hit on the foot by a pitch in the seventh inning and lifted for pinch-runner Max Moroff. ... Pirates C Francisco Cervelli returned to the lineup after missing two games because of illness.