PITTSBURGH — The Mets had such a bad night that the home team didn’t have enough supplies to continue celebrating their victory.
On Friday, fireworks were set off as is customary at PNC Park every time the Pirates hit a home run.
At least for his first six home runs.
But when Rowdy Tellez hit a grand slam against Ty Adcock in the eighth inning, a message appeared on the outfield screen.
“We hit seven home runs tonight, just the fifth time in Pirates history that we’ve done that,” the message read. “So many home runs, the fireworks just ran out.”
The only Mets “pitcher” not to allow a home run was catcher Luis Torrens, who got the final out in the eighth inning of the team’s 14-2 loss.
Luis Severino, Jake Diekman and Adcock were less effective.
Three of the home runs on the night came against Severino, who had his worst performance of the season, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
“The second pitch wasn’t my forte today,” Severino said.
Dickman took the mound after Severino loaded the bases in the seventh inning with the Mets leading 4-2.
He hit a two-run homer off New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino.
Top of the 5th inning. AP
The struggling left-hander gave up a grand slam to Bryan Reynolds, rendering the eighth-inning brawl virtually meaningless.
“[Diekman] “He’s having a really tough time right now,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Either he’s leading and struggling to strike out batters, or he’s leading and he’s walking them. His fastball velocity isn’t good enough right now, and our job is to get him back on track.”
The Mets lost three straight games, their longest losing streak since losing three straight to the Dodgers in late May, and fell to under 2-5.
“We have to find a way to get out of this wave and ride a good wave,” Francisco Lindor said.
If the Mets’ awful pitching performance wasn’t enough, they also had issues with Paul Skenes.
The New York Mets in the top of the third inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClair – USA TODAY Sports
The Mets are the latest team to acquire a star rookie and then be disappointed by his powerful weapon.
Skenes (5-0) gave up four hits, two walks, eight strikeouts and two earned runs in seven innings and left the game to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 37,037.
The right-hander has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his 10 starts since the start of his major league career.
“He was really good, but I thought our at-bats were really good, too,” Mendoza said. “We had the hitters right, but we just didn’t get the big hits. Our at-bats were good overall, but to beat a guy like him, you’ve got to not only have the hitters right, you’ve got to get the big hits.”
Jeff McNeil hit an 0-2 fastball from Skenes in the top of the third inning for a leadoff home run to give the Mets their first run of the game.
The home run was McNeil’s fifth of the season.
Pete Alonso’s leadoff double in the fourth inning gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Francisco Alvarez was hit in the left elbow by a 99 mph fastball and was in extreme pain but continued to play.
Alonso advanced to third base on DJ Stewart’s fly to right field and scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Jose Iglesias.
But the Pirates were able to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning with home runs by Tellez and Jack Swinski off Severino.
Telles hit a changeup 425 feet to score the Pirates’ first run, and with one out, Swinski smashed a 96 mph fastball into the right field stands.
In the fifth inning, Severino allowed his third home run of the day.
After walking Joshua Parisios, Reynolds hit a ball over the fence in right-center field to put the Mets down, 4-2.
It was the first time this season that Severino allowed three home runs in one game.
Yasmani Grandal and Michael A. Taylor each hit home runs between the grand slams from Reynolds and Telles, helping the Pirates make a late-game threat.
