Bo Bichette had five hits and three RBIs and Sean Manaea struck out 11 over seven innings to lead the New York Mets to a 11-1 win and a series victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
Leading 5-1 in the top of the fourth, Bichette’s bases-clearing double off Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-4) broke the game open and lifted the Mets to their fifth win in their past six games.
Jones allowed eight runs on six hits and three walks and lasted only three innings as the Pirates lost for the fifth time in their past six games. Pittsburgh is 3-10 since July 28th.
Manaea (4-5) gave up only one run on three hits and did not issue a walk. It was the fourth consecutive quality start of at least six innings, allowing two runs or fewer by Manaea.
The lone blemish was Jake Mangum’s two-out solo home run into the left center field bullpen in the bottom of the third that cut the Pirates’ deficit to 5-1.
Mangum recorded two of Pittsburgh’s four hits.
Jones hit Francisco Alvarez with a pitch to start the fourth and proceeded to walk A.J. Ewing and Francisco Lindor to load the bases, setting up Bichette’s big knock.
Two batters later, Bichette scored on a single by Jared Young to make it a 9-1 edge for New York.
An inning later, Alvarez padded the Mets’ lead with his 13th home run of the season — a solo blast off Pirates reliever Kirby Yates.
Luis Robert Jr. drove in four runs, the last one coming in the seventh on an RBI single off Gregory Soto.
Carson Benge returned to the Mets’ lineup after a one-game absence due to left wrist soreness, and opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single.
Robert Jr. drove in Lindor with a sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. He belted a two-run home run in the third to double the advantage to 4-0.
Young had three hits in New York’s 15-hit attack, while Benge and Robert Jr. added two apiece.
