NEW YORKโIn an exhilarating finish at Citi Field, Pete Alonso secured a victory for the New York Mets with a decisive sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning, capitalizing on a mishap by Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The Mets triumphed 4-3 against the Pirates on Monday night.
Piratesโ star pitcher Paul Skenes kept the Mets under pressure throughout his six innings, limiting their scoring opportunities and exiting with a potential win in sight. However, the Mets rallied back during the seventh inning, scoring two crucial runs against the Pittsburgh bullpen, shifting the lead to 3-2 in their favor.
The game saw dramatic moments, such as a strategic RBI groundout by Juan Soto, and an impressive play by rookie Luisangel Acuรฑa, who sprinted home from second base as Alonsoโs groundball single trickled past after glancing off Gold Glove third baseman KeโBryan Hayesโ glove.
Brandon Nimmo, the Metsโ left fielder, heroically thwarted a potential home run by Joey Bart in the eighth inning. Yet, the Pirates managed to draw level again at 3-3 in the ninth, after Francisco Lindorโs errant play.
With the infield drawn in and tension mounting, Hayes managed to usher in the tying run when Acuรฑa missed a tricky grounder, which was marked as an infield single. As the game unfolded, Kiner-Falefa then allowed Lindorโs grounder to slip beneath his glove just behind second base, giving Lindor the opportunity to advance to third following Sotoโs single to right-center off David Bednar. Alonso then delivered a towering fly ball, enabling Lindor to score easily and seal the win for the Mets.
Reliever Huascar Brazobรกn, displaying precision under pressure, conceded only an unearned run as he closed the ninth inning.
Earlier in the game, Kiner-Falefa had managed to hit a home run against Mets starter David Peterson, marking his first appearance at the plate after returning from the injured list.
The Mets leveled the score at 1 apiece when Nimmo and Jeff McNeil connected for consecutive doubles off Skenes in the fourth inning. Pittsburgh briefly regained the lead at 2-1 via an RBI groundout by Bryan Reynolds in the seventh.
Despite his efforts, Skenes completed six innings, allowing just one run on six hits, and achieved six strikeouts alongside three walks.
In a tense sequence, with the game tied again late, Brazobรกn skillfully forced Reynolds to ground into a pivotal inning-ending double play with runners positioned at the corners.
This game resulted in a less favorable part of the Piratesโ history, marking their 18th consecutive game without scoring more than four runsโa milestone unmatched since at least 1901. Moreover, Skenes maintained an impressive personal streak, having never conceded more than six hits across his first 32 major league starts, setting a new benchmark previously held by Shohei Ohtani.
Looking ahead, the Pirates are set for a faceoff in the second game of this series on Tuesday night, where RHP Mitch Keller, sporting a 1-4, with a 4.40 ERA, will oppose Metsโ RHP Kodai Senga, who holds a 4-2 record with a formidable 1.16 ERA.