Niese Shuts Down Old Team In Pitching Pirates Past Mets
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jon Niese pitched seven scoreless innings against his former team and Josh Harrison had three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Mets 3-1 on Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Pirates snapped New York left-hander Steven Matz's seven-game winning streak.
Niese (6-2) gave up four hits, walked two and struck out two in helping the Pirates win for the just the second time in seven games. The lefty is 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his last five starts.
Niese was drafted by the Mets in 2005 and spent his entire career in the organization, including eight seasons in the major leagues, before being traded to the Pirates on Dec. 9 for Neil Walker.
Walker was 1 for 4 in his first time facing the Pirates for the Pittsburgh-area native. He was their first-round draft pick in 2004, made his major league debut in 2009 and spent the last six seasons as the starting second baseman.
The doubleheader was the result of Monday night's scheduled game being rained out.
Matz (7-2) allowed two runs and eight hits in five innings while losing for the first time since his season debut April 11 against the Miami Marlins. He struck out eight and walked two while losing on the road for the first time in nine career starts after compiling a 6-0 record.
Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 18th save in 19 chances.
Harrison tripled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored the game's first run on David Freese's single. Harrison then singled, stole second and came home on Andrew McCutchen's single in the fifth to make it 2-0.
The Pirates' Jordy Mercer hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his second of the season and first at PNC Park since Aug. 31, 2014.
McCutchen, Freese and Jung Ho Kang each had two of the Pirates' 10 hits.
Curtis Granderson accounted for the Mets' run with a leadoff homer in the eighth, his 10th, off Neftali Feliz. Granderson had been 2-for-53 against the Pirates since signing as a free agent with the Mets prior to the 2014 season.
The Mets have lost six of nine, scoring a total of just 22 runs.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: CF Yoenis Cespedes returned to the lineup after sitting out Saturday at Miami and being limited to a pinch-hitting appearance Sunday against the Marlins.
Pirates: LF Starling Marte was removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning because of left ankle discomfort. . C Francisco Cervelli (bruised right foot) was back in the lineup after missing three straight games and Freese (bruised right hand) started at first base after sitting out four games in a row . RHP Ryan Vogelsong rejoined the team a week after undergoing surgery to repair facial fractures sustained May 23 when hit by a pitch by Colorado's Jordan Lyles.
PITCHING SHUFFLE
Monday night's rainout has forced both teams to shuffle their starting rotations.
The Pirates announced that RHP Jameson Taillon will be recalled from Indianapolis and make his major league debut Wednesday night against the Mets in the finale of the three-game series. Manager Clint Hurdle would not commit to keeping Taillon, the third overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, in the major leagues beyond Wednesday.
LHP Francisco Liriano, who was scheduled pitch Wednesday will now start Saturday night against St. Louis. Liriano is 1-4 with a 7.43 ERA in last five starts and 4-5 with a 5.25 ERA in 11 starts overall this season
Mets RHP Logan Verrett is tentatively slated to make a spot start Saturday night at Milwaukee. Manager Terry Collins said the Mets might push RHP Matt Harvey back to Saturday to give him an extra day of rest and start Verrett on Friday night against the Brewers.
THE 26TH MEN
The Mets recalled INF Eric Campbell from Triple-A Norfolk and the Pirates recalled RHP Wilfredo Boscan from Triple-A Indianapolis as both teams took advantage of the rule in which an extra player can be added to the roster for a doubleheader.
Both players were only allowed to be active for the second game because the doubleheader was scheduled with less than 48 hours' notice.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.62 ERA) will start the second game. He is winless in his last six starts despite allowing three earned runs or fewer five times.
Pirates: RHP Juan Nicasio (4-4, 4.75) is 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA in his last five starts.
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