PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A day after coming back from a six run deficit, the Pirates lose after holding a six run lead. Mets finished off the comeback on a two-run homer by Michael Conforto off Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez in the ninth.
“I’m happy we put ourselves in a position to do that as well as we played against a team that’s leading the National League East,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “To not finish it after being up, it’s frustrating.”
Wilmer Difo, Ben Gamel and Kevin Newman each with a pair of hits. John Nogowski drove in two runs. Starting pitcher JT Brubaker lasted only 3.2 innings with six hits, four runs, three walks and five strikeouts.
“We played good baseball,” Shelton said. “We had opportunities today to win the game and sweep the series. We did not take advantage of those opportunities.”
Crazy first
The Pirates got three runs in the first inning as Newman hit a dribbler up the third base line with the bases loaded. It started in foul territory, but just as it touched the line making it a fair ball, Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker batted it into foul territory. Walker thought he got to it before it went fair and his Mets teammates thought the play was dead. Meanwhile, Nogowski, Gregory Polanco and Michael Perez continued to run the bases scoring three runs.
Here is how Newman described it.
“I hit it and it definitely started in foul territory,” Newman said. “Then I saw it kind of creeping its way back and I just took off running. Maybe this thing comes back, so I just started running. As I’m running to first, I turn my head and see him (Walker) swat the ball in foul territory and everyone is going crazy. I just turned and ran to second base. I really didn’t know what was going to be the outcome. I didn’t know if they got it right or wrong because I had a terrible view going down the line.”
“They were just congregating around the umpire,” Brubaker said watching the play happen from the on-deck circle. “I was just glad the umpire was able to stay locked in. That he called it fair and stayed back towards the plate while people were scoring, and make sure everybody touched the plate. If there was a play when Perez came around third, he was in position to make a call.”
Mets manager Luis Rojas ejected arguing the play that replay confirmed was a fair ball.
“There were a lot of freaky things that happened in that play,” Shelton said. “The ball started foul and came back fair. He flipped it, it stayed in play which normally doesn’t happen. Heads up awareness for both Joey (Cora) and Mikey Perez. For Mikey to score from first and Joey continue to bring him. There were a lot of strange things that happened on that play.”
Crazy weekend
A series against the Mets featuring a rain delay, benches-clearing incident as one player then called another a clown. The 50th anniversary of a World Championship team as the Pirates come back to score 9 runs in the last two innings, ending on a Jacob Stallings walk-off grand slam. Plus what happened Sunday.
“It was kind of all over the place,” Shelton said. “It was one of those weekends you’ll probably not see very often with some of the things that happened. Our guys continued to play hard throughout. We did not capitalize on the opportunity to get this game.”
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