Pittsburgh Mets’ Weekend Struggles

The Mets’ weekend in Pittsburgh was, well, not great. From decisions made to unfortunate outcomes, it was a rough ride by the rivers.

Typically, players hold meetings when their ace is set to pitch. But with a recent rotation lacking a true ace, that wasn’t the case here. No need to fret about the absence of one superstar pitcher, though.

Frankie Montas took the mound on Sunday, hoping to turn the previous night’s disappointing game into something better for the team.

Unfortunately, Montas faltered, and the lineup seemed flat, leading to a 12-1 blowout loss at PNC Park. This defeat completed a three-game sweep for the Pirates.

In their last 16 games, the Mets lost 13 and were outscored a staggering 30-4 during this series with the NL Central rivals.

Instead of enjoying a restful weekend following a tough stretch against division foes, the Mets had their flaws brought to light. This prompted a players-only meeting on Saturday, featuring names like Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso.

Lindor took responsibility for his recent performance, but ironically, he struggled again, going 0-for-4 while the team only managed two extra-base hits.

Montas’ troubles began right in the first inning with two outs. Ke’bryan Hayes hit a two-run single, and then Oneil Cruz launched a homer, quickly putting the Mets in a 4-0 deficit. Tommy Femme added to the misery, and Montas found himself facing eight batters before finally getting out of the inning.

In the second inning, back-to-back singles from Henry Davis and Adam Frazier set the stage for Andrew McCutchen’s sacrifice fly, extending the Pirates’ lead to 6-0. To cap it off, Montas had already thrown 50 pitches by the end of the second inning.

Louis Torrens managed to give the Mets their sole run with a home run—his second of the season. He’d entered the game with a rather low .239 OPS for June after stepping in as the starting catcher following Francisco Alvarez’s demotion to Syracuse.