Game #90: Pirates 4, Mets 2

Harvey Day may have been skipped, but the New York bullpen made it feel familiar by blowing the lead for Matt's replacement.

Carlos Torres was solid but the Mets allowed four unanswered Pirate runs, falling in the game (and series) 4-2.

The Bad Stuff:

• Up 2-1 in the 6th, David Aardsma allowed Pittsburgh to tie it on Andrew McCutchen's home run. Then in the 7th, Greg Burke made it much worse, allowing three singles that led to the go-ahead run and eventually walking in a fourth for the Bucs.
• New York hit just 1-11 with RISP and stranded 10 men on base. It only took Pirates closer Jason Grilli eight pitches to put the Mets away in the 9th.

The Good Stuff:

• Carlos Torres did his best Matt Harvey impression in his first starting appearance, allowing a single run on five hits in five solid innings, walking none and striking out five on 80 pitches.
• Marlon Byrd went 2-3 with a walk, run, and RBI, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis's RBI double put the Mets on top 1-0 in the 4th.
• Eric Young went 2-4 and stole a base; Daniel Murphy and David Wright also swiped bags in the game.
• Bobby Parnell struck out the side in his breezy 8th inning.

Final Analysis:
Since Jeremy Hefner's ascension to full-fledged starter, the Mets have been in dire need of a long man in the bullpen, but they may have found their guy in Carlos Torres, who proved more than capable in his starting debut. It was a shame he couldn't get the W out of his effort, but he'll have other chances. Just hopefully not at the expense of Harvey.

MM