Mets 7 Pirates 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Game 119 of 162
Mets record: 54-65
Mets streak: Won 2
WP - Tyson Miller (1-0)
LP - Quinn Priester (2-2)
Seat on the Korner: Jonathan Arauz
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Weak-hitting infielder Jonathan Arauz, hitting .100 at the time, surprised the crowd with a two-run homer that broke the game open. Arauz also had two steller defensive plays in the field, earning him the chair of honor.
Need to Know
The Mets put up runs in each of the first six innings, the seventh time in franchise history but the first time in the last 36 years.
Carlos Carrasco lasted only three innings, pitching in and out of trouble and leaving after 88 pitches.
Francisco Lindor went two for three with a walk and a stolen base. He now has 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases
The Mets benefitted from a favorable call that ended the first. Catcher Francisco Alvarez tried to pick off Pirates' heralded rookie, Westchester native and number one overall draft choice Henry Davis. Seemingly having Davis in a rundown, Pete Alonso threw home to get Ke'Bryan Hayes, who was trying to score. The ball got past Alvarez, but first base umpire Mark Ripperger ruled Davis went out of thr baseline to avoid the tag and called him out, ending the inning without an additional run scoring. The issue: Alonso never tried to tag Davis. Unclear whether the call was appealable.
Jeff McNeil extended his hitting streak to eight games, continuing his hot hitting since the all-star break.
Piuttsburgh and the Mets ended the game with identical records.
Turning Point
With the score 3-2 and the Pirates hanging in, Jonathan Arauz' two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth gave the Mets a 5-2 lead and breathing room for the bullpen for the rest of the game.
Three Keys
Spot-on relief pitching from newcomers
With Carlos Carrasco out after three innings, Tyson Miller made his Mets debut with two scoreless innings. He was followed by Sam Coonrod, who was was hurt in spring training. Coonrod pitched a scoreless inning in his regular-season debut. Paul Bickford, Trevor Gott and Adam Ottvino also put up scoreless frames.
Bombs Away
Daniel Vogelbach (9) and Brandon Nimmo (16) also homered for the Mets.
Welcome to the big leagues, rooks
The Pirates had five rookies in their lineup, including Davis and starting pitcher Quinn Priester. Veteran Andrew McCutcheon, riding s 17-game on-base streak, did not play.
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