Pirates Route Mets, 9-0, As Stock Fails In His Second Start

The New York Mets got thumped by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-0, as Robert Stock gave the Mets a non-competitive start that put New York down by eight runs as the Mets waved the white flag early in this one. 

The Pirates scored early and often off Stock was on the mound as he gave the Mets just three innings and gave up eight runs. Stock gave up three in the first, a run in the third and four in the third, as the Pirates pounded out nine hits to go with five walks. 

Perhaps the strangest part of Stock’s outing was that he kept the ball in play as the Pirates didn’t homer, but there certainly was plenty of action on the basepaths.

There were almost too many offensive stars to name, but the players who had the biggest night early were Jake Mangum (two hits, two runs scored, an RBI), Nick Gonzalez (three RBIs), Ronny Simon (two hits, two RBIs and a run scored) and Henry Davis (two hits, a run scored). The sum total was an 8-0 lead, and at that point the rest looked like window dressing. 

Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler knew what do to with the big lead as he put up zeroes. He usually struggles with his control, but in this one he threw strikes and pitched to contact, and he wound up with six shutout frames with just three hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts. 

Reliever Xzavion Curry picked up the pitching baton after Stock left, and he was able to stop the bleeding and give the Mets three scoreless innings. The final two were pitching by catcher Luis Torrens, who almost outdid Stock by giving up just one inning in those two frames. 

The Mets didn’t even attempt a comeback on this one, as they were playing with their infield back and runners on third in Stock’s final flailing inning. Interim manager Andy Green pulled Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor early once the damage was done, giving the Mets something resembling a Triple-A lineup. 

It was a bad look for a team that’s actually been showing some fight lately, and the final innings were mostly going through the motions, although the Pirates did finally manage a home run as Brandon Lowe hit a solo shot off Torrens in the seventh. 

The Mets still have a chance to win the series, though, so they’ll send Sean Manaea to the hill against Jared Jones of Pittsburgh to try and pull if off.