It didn’t take long for the Mets to face some tough questions after their first loss of the season.
Concerns arose about Richard Lovelady, who had an unusual role as the last pitcher on opening day, suddenly taking the mound in a tied game for two straight days.
There were also discussions about Francisco Lindor, who was sent home by third base coach Tim Leiper with no outs and runners on base—an opportunity to tie the game that felt rather impactful.
In the Mets’ third game, they suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Pirates in ten innings, marking their first series win but not without a couple of hiccups.
The deciding run in the tenth inning featured Lovelady, who had pitched the day before. He managed four scoreless innings after facing Huascar Brazoban, Sean Manaea, and Luke Weaver. Surprisingly, the usual closers Devin Williams, Brooks Lally, and Luis Garcia all remained unused.
If Lovelady was running low on energy, it showed when Ryan O’Hearn’s single gave the Pirates the lead, followed by Henry Davis’ RBI single that extended their advantage.
Later in the inning, following Lindor’s walk, Soto hit a double but the Pirates quickly cut down Lindor at home plate.
Leiper maintained an upbeat demeanor, even as Bo Bichette stood ready to capitalize on a scoring chance with no outs. Soto’s actions left the 36,940 fans who braved the chilly but sunny day feeling a bit let down.
The day had started as a much-anticipated debut for Nolan McLean, who had won over fans last season, but it was an odd beginning.
Of his first eight pitches, seven were balls. He walked the first two batters he faced and took a staggering fifteen pitches to secure his first out, ultimately allowing a run from O’Hearn’s single. By the end, he had thrown 24 pitches.
However, any initial worries seemed to fade by the second inning as McLean found his rhythm and showed promise.
McLean ended with two runs allowed in five innings—one from Brandon Lowe’s third home run—and registered four hits, two walks, and a striking eight strikeouts.
During the third inning, even with a double against him, McLean quickly struck out Spencer Horwitz with just three pitches. A pivotal moment came when Lowe hit a double, but McLean managed to leave him stranded at second base, after a strange decision by Bryan Reynolds not to challenge a pitch just outside the zone, ultimately leading to a strikeout that energized McLean as he headed toward the dugout.
