PITTSBURGH (AP) — Terry Collins, the oldest current manager in the major leagues, did not have a happy 68th birthday as his New York Mets blew a save for the fifth time in their last seven chances.
John Jaso singled home the tying run in the ninth inning and the winning run in the 10th, and the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame Andrew McCutchen’s baserunning blunder to beat the Mets 5-4 on Saturday night.
“It seems like everything we do right now turns out wrong,” Collins said. “We could put our long sleeves on and they’d be inside out.”
Jordy Mercer doubled off the center-field wall against Addison Reed with one out in the ninth. Jaso pinch hit for Felipe Rivero, Reed threw a wild pitch and Jaso lined a single, Reed’s second blown save in eight chances.
“The way I’m pitching right now is unacceptable,” Reed said. “It’s not what I expect from myself and it’s not what the team is paying me for.”
Tony Watson (3-1) struck out Travis d’Arnaud to strand two runners in the 10th, and the Pirates loaded the bases in the bottom half against Tyler Pill (0-1), who made his big league debut.
David Freese singled with one out, McCutchen was hit by a pitch and Francisco Cervelli walked. Gift Ngoepe flied out to Jay Bruce in shallow right, and left-hander Josh Edgin came in to face the right-handed hitting Jaso, who was 0 for 10 against lefties this season and 1 for 20 last year. With the count full, Jaso lined the ninth pitch of the at-bat over Bruce.
“It was exciting, but it was great to have that opportunity at first and for the guys behind me to set the table and everything,” Jaso said. “Shoot, we were hitting the ball so hard. Everybody saw it. I guess it just wasn’t really flying tonight. I figured the game should have ended a lot sooner.”
New York led 4-2 before McCutchen’s RBI double with two outs in the sixth. Francisco Cervelli grounded into the shortstop hole, where Asdrubal Cabrera went to a knee and prevented the ball from going into the outfield, holding Cervelli to an infield hit. McCutchen kept on running and Cabrera’s throw home beat McCutchen by 25 feet.
Bruce, d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda homered off Gerrit Cole, who allowed three homers in a game for the first time in his big league career. Cole gave up four runs and 10 hits in five innings,
Duda’s homer was a 451-foot drive to right-center in the sixth; he also doubled and is 9 for 18 with four with four walks in his last five games.
Mets starter Zack Wheeler, bothered by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He gave up a two-run homer to McCutchen in the second that tied the score at 2.
WEB GEMS
Mets CF Juan Lagares made a pair of leaping catches, hitting the wall while robbing Cervelli leading off the ninth and Gregory Polanco starting the 10th.
UNHAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Saturday marked one year since Mets third baseman and captain David Wright last played. He is on the 60-day DL while recovering from surgery to repair a disk in his neck.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: LF Yoenis Cespedes (strained left hamstring) reported tightness in his right quadriceps on Saturday, a day after beginning a rehab assignment at Class A St. Lucie and the Mets say he won’t play until at least Tuesday. He has been on the disabled list since April 28.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon is scheduled to begin a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment Sunday with a start for Double-A Altoona, less than three weeks after undergoing testicular cancer surgery on May 8. … RHP Josh Lindbom (left side discomfort) pitched two shutout innings and LHP Antonio Bastardo (left quad strain) worked one scoreless inning Saturday as they began rehab assignments with Triple-A Indianapolis.
UP NEXT
The three-game series concludes Sunday night with Mets RHP Matt Harvey (3-3, 5.36 ERA) facing RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 6.69). Harvey ended a six-start winless streak Tuesday, allowing two runs in five innings against San Diego. Glasnow is 2-2 with a 5.96 ERA in five May starts.
