5/9 Game Recap: Mets Edge Pirates 3-2 in Walkoff Fashion

Tonight at Citi Field, Dillon Gee got the start as the Mets took on Pittsburgh in the opener of a four game set.

After a John Buck single and Justin Turner single that moved Buck to third (Turner was safe at second base, but called out), the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a short sacrifice fly to right field by Marlon Byrd.

May 9, 2013; Flushing, NY,USA; New York Mets starting pitcher

(35) pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

That’s where the game remained until the top of the sixth.  Gee was at 89 pitches (his season high prior to tonight was 98) and he was about to face the heart of the order.  Instead of being proactive, Terry Collins waited until the first two batters reached before getting Brandon Lyon up in the pen.  He then allowed Gee to stay in long enough to load the bases (by drilling Russell Martin) before removing Gee and replacing him with Lyon.  Fortunately for the Mets, Lyon did a tremendous job of getting out of the jam while only allowing one run (on a sacrifice fly to center) as Pittsburgh tied things at 1.

After Scott Rice was summoned from the pen to work out of a jam in the seventh, the Mets took the lead back in the bottom of the inning.  After Andrew Brown‘s first hit as a Met, Ike Davis (who had been double switched into the game with Rice) laced an RBI double deep to right center to drive in Brown and put the Mets ahead 2-1.  As quickly as the Mets regained the lead, Pittsburgh drew even.  LaTroy Hawkins was asked to pitch the eighth (despite Scott Rice having being double switched into the game in the seventh), and allowed a one out solo homer to lefty hitting Pedro Alvarez as the Pirates knotted things at 2.

After a run saving catch by Juan Lagares in the top of the ninth (see the highlights section), Marlon Byrd led off the bottom of the inning with an infield hit to second.  Andrew Brown followed by laying down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move Byrd to second base.  Mike Baxter then delivered a pinch hit walkoff single up the middle to score Byrd as the Mets won 3-2.

Highlights:

• Dillon Gee tossed 5 innings before falling apart in the 6th, as he loaded the bases with no one out before turning the ball over to Brandon Lyon.  Gee’s final line: 5 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 run (earned), 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.  He also hit two batters.  Gee pitched well for the most part until the 6th, but his command was still off – leading to the high pitch count and the mess he left Lyon.

• Brandon Lyon relieved Gee with the bases loaded and no one out in the sixth, and got out of the jam while only allowing 1 run (on a sacrifice fly).

• Andrew Brown, who started in left field, got his  first hit as a Met in the 7th with a line drive single to right field.

• Ike Davis, who was double switched into the game in the top of the 7th, hit a deep RBI double to right field in the bottom of the inning.

• With a runner at first and two outs in the top of the ninth, Juan Lagares made an incredible catch in center field on a ball off the bat of Andrew McCutchen.  The ball may have gone over the wall if not for Lagares, and would’ve absolutely been a run scoring double if he hadn’t caught it.

• Mike Baxter pinch hit in the 9th and delivered a walk off RBI single to win it for the Mets for the second time in three days.

Thoughts:

Gee was decent, the bullpen held its own, and the Pride of Whitestone came through again.

Next Up:

The Mets and Pirates will play Game two of their set tomorrow night at 7:10.  Shaun Marcum will get the start for New York.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to Like Rising Apple’s Facebook page and follow@RisingAppleBlog on Twitter to keep up with the latest news, rumors, and opinion!