Field Level Media
Aug 2, 2019
Starling Marte hit a three-run homer, and Melky Cabrera had a two-run double Friday as the host Pittsburgh Pirates slowed the streaking New York Mets with an 8-4 victory.
Josh Bell, Jose Osuna and Elias Diaz each added an RBI single for Pittsburgh, which rode a five-run fourth. The Pirates had lost 10 of their previous 11.
Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis each had an RBI double for New York, which had its seven-game winning streak halted.
Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams (4-4) went six innings, giving up three runs and six hits, with two strikeouts and three walks.
New York starter Steven Matz (6-7) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and six hits, with four strikeouts and one walk -- vastly different from Saturday, when he threw his first complete game, a shutout against the Pirates.
The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the first. Jeff McNeil led off with a double, moved to second on Michael Conforto's groundout and scored on Alonso's double. Alonso moved to third on Robinson Cano's single and scored on Wilson Ramos' groundout.
In the third, New York upped its lead to 3-0 on Davis' RBI double.
Pittsburgh opened the fourth with Bryan Reynolds' walk. Marte singled him to second, and Bell drove him home with a base hit to make it 3-1. Osuna also singled, making it 3-2, and Cabrera drove in two with a double high off the wall in left-center for a 4-3 lead. An out later, Diaz drove in Cabrera with a single.
Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano relieved Williams in the seventh, making his 400th career appearance, and picked up his 1,800th career strikeout during his two-thirds of an inning. He was also charged with New York's fourth run, which was unearned.
In that seventh, Conforto hit a two-out single. Richard Rodriguez replaced Liriano and gave up a single to Alonso. Conforto scored on shortstop Kevin Newman's fielding error on Cano's soft popup to make it 5-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Marte lined his 19th homer to left, a three-run shot following singles by Newman and Reynolds, for an 8-4 lead.
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle served the first of a two-game suspension for his involvement in a fight with the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week.
--Field Level Media