Mets Blow 4-Run Lead, Lose to Pirates

The Mets had a 4-0 lead against a not-very-good Pirates team Monday night. But they lost the lead and lost the game.

In the second, Vinny Rottino, just up from the minors, singled with one out. Ronny Cedeno doubled to score Rottino with the game’s first run. Mike Nickeas walked, Johan Santana sacrificed and Andres Torres walked to load the bases with two outs. Justin Turner singled to score two runs and David Wright singled to score another to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

But Santana could not hold it. He let up two runs in the fourth on three straight doubles to make it 4-2. And then in the seventh with a man on he allowed a towering home run to someone named Michael McKenry and suddenly the game was tied at four. Santana was lifted with one out in the inning after walking a batter. Bobby Parnell and Tim Byrdak kept it a tied game.

Jon Rauch came on to pitch the eighth. Leadoff batter Neil Walker lofted a fly to right-center. Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who had each just entered the game, both went for it and the ball hit off of Nieuwenhuis’s glove. Walker ended up on third. The error was given to Nieuwenhuis, but that was Baxter’s fault. The left fielder has to get out of the way when the centerfielder calls for it. With one out Clint Barmes hit  a fly to right that Lucas Duda caught. He made a strong throw home but Walker just beat the play to give the Pirates a 5-4 lead.

Joel Hanrahan came on to close out the ninth.

By the way, Wright had two hits on the night and is now batting .415. On the other hand, he had two errors after committing just one all season long. Neither error led to runs, though.

Mets lose 5-4.