The Pittsburgh Pirates secured their first victory of the season, defeating the New York Mets 4-3 in 10 innings at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon. Pittsburgh salvaged the three-game series with clutch hits in the top of the 10th and a game-saving relay throw in the bottom half. The win came against a Mets team that took two of three despite early struggles from new third baseman Bo Bichette.
Pittsburgh entered the 10th inning tied at 2-2 with automatic runner Bryan Reynolds on second base. Ryan O’Hearn singled to left off Mets reliever Richard Lovelady, driving in Reynolds for a 3-2 lead. Four batters later, Henry Davis singled to right-center, scoring pinch-runner Billy Cook to make it 4-2, manager Don Kelly said the late hits were crucial after struggling with runners in scoring position throughout the series (1-for-11 Sunday before the 10th, 2-for-18 Saturday). Kelly noted, “To come up big in the 10th inning, we needed that one.” O’Hearn added, “It’s incredibly hard to win on the road in extra innings.” José Urquidy earned the save by pitching out of trouble in the bottom of the 10th. Juan Soto doubled to score automatic runner Francisco Alvarez, cutting the lead to 4-3, but relay throws from Oneil Cruz and Jared Triolo tagged Francisco Lindor out at the plate. Davis said, “It was a really good play all around. I kind of dove at [Lindor at home plate].” Urquidy, returning from Tommy John surgery, expressed gratitude to the organization. Mets rookie Nolan McLean made his season debut, striking out eight over five innings while allowing two earned runs for a no-decision. Manager Carlos Mendoza praised his competitiveness despite a rocky start with two early walks. McLean noted improved fastball velocity, reaching 98 mph. Bo Bichette, in his third game with the Mets after signing a three-year, $126 million deal, went 1-for-14 with a 53.3% strikeout rate and drew boos from fans. Bichette said, “I thought my at-bats were terrible, too,” but teammate Francisco Lindor expressed confidence in his rebound.
