The New York Mets handled their business against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Well, for the most part. After taking two out of three, the Mets did drop the final game of the series on a rainy and frustrating Wednesday night at Citi Field.
This is baseball, however, and even teams struggling will run into a win here and there. Plus, all you can ask of any team is to win a series. Clinching the sweep is just an added bonus.
In any case, this was a nice finish to the homestand with New York going a combined 4-2 against the Cubs and the Pirates. Next up is one of the most anticipated Subway Series in recent memory.
Before that, though, let’s recap the series against Pittsburgh in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
3 UP
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESSÂ
It has been a tough start to 2025 for the Pirates. Despite having one of the best young pitchers in the game in Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to get out of its own way, both on and off the field. As such, the Pirates arrived in Queens as one of the worst teams in baseball, especially offensively, but again, this is baseball, and anyone thinking this was going to be a cake walk for the Mets was gravely mistaken. Both of New York’s wins were gritty efforts, and neither came particularly easily, but the Mets rode solid pitching and got just enough offense to take two out of three and clinch another series at home. And, at the end of the day, that’s all any team can really do.
RED-HOT RESURGENCE
Whatever Brett Baty is having for breakfast right now, he best keep on eating it. Ever since being called back up, the infielder has done nothing but rake. More importantly, he has also shown the ability to come up with the big hit when it is really needed. That was indeed the case on Tuesday. In a game where offense was at a premium, Baty came up with a clutch opposite-field home run in the seventh. It was a solo shot that gave the Mets the lead for good. And it was also Baty’s fourth home run in seven games since being recalled. If this version of Baty holds true, then New York could have a real weapon in the bottom half of the lineup.
STARTING GREATNESS
Kodai Senga gave the Mets 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Tuesday, striking out seven in the process. Now, that on its own may not seem remarkable. But, when you look at the bigger picture, Senga’s latest start cemented a historic milestone for the starting rotation. Per OptaSTATS, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to have five pitchers with earned run averages of 3.15 or lower, and 40 or more strikeouts through the first eight starts of a season. That remarkable stat is testament to just how terrific the starting pitching has been to start 2025. When you consider that David Peterson was strong in the opener, not to mention the bodies still to come back, this rotation sure seems like it is in a good place this year.
May 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
3 DOWN
NOT HIS NIGHT
Clay Holmes pitched better on Wednesday night than his final stat line suggests. The righty got out of some tough jams and gave his team six innings. However, with that said, Holmes did become just the second Mets starter this year to allow multiple home runs in a game. And the two homers given up proved costly. Holmes had Pittsburgh first baseman Matt Gorski in a 0-2 count in the second inning, with two outs, but proceeded to give up a two-run shot. On a night when the Mets couldn’t get anything going offensively, that blast changed the entire tenor of the game. Holmes gave up another two-run shot in the fifth, and those two homers were all the Pirates needed to steal the finale.
PUTTING UP BLANKS
Yes, the lineup for the series finale didn’t feature Juan Soto, who was given an extra off-day, but still, the offense was a no-show on Wednesday. The Mets managed just six hits all game and didn’t record a single extra-base hit. They also went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight runners stranded on base. Furthermore, the lineup twice loaded the bases but just couldn’t take advantage. The rain showed up, but the offense didn’t. In total, the Mets put up just six runs in three games against a poor Pirates team. Hopefully, the offense wakes back up in time for a big series against the Yankees this weekend.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
President of baseball operations David Stearns met with the press on Wednesday and made it clear that the Mets have plenty of room to improve defensively. Those comments came after Mark Vientos allowed a ball to go through his glove on Tuesday, extending the inning and putting more strain on Kodai Senga. It wasn’t ruled an error, but it was a flubbed play that could have proved costly in a close game. The Mets were also guilty of some poor defense in the ninth inning of Monday’s opener. In another world, bad defense could have cost New York all three games in this series. When you also consider that Francisco Lindor has six errors on the year already, then it is almost impossible to argue with Stearns. All in all, the Mets got away with bad defense in two close games in this series. However, those kinds of mistakes and mental errors will come back to bite them against better teams than the Pirates.
