The Mets should have had a win in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Instead, they were left walking off the field while the Pirates celebrated their second straight win in this series, 9-7, out of the All-Star break.
This one was unbelievable. The Mets had a 6-0 lead through seven innings. The Pirates rallied for a few runs in the bottom of the eighth and then cut the lead to one with this pinch-hit, three-run shot by Wilmer Difo:
How great was that? The broadcast had just mentioned a three-run homer would take it to one and then it happened on the next pitch. Difo is now 10 for his last 20 and has homered in two straight games.
The Mets got an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a solo Brandon Nimmo home run, but that wouldn't be enough. A hit batsman and walk started the inning for closer Edwin Diaz. He was able to strike the next hitter out, but then an infield single loaded the bases. Diaz did strike the next hitter out, but then Jacob Stallings dropped the hammer on the first pitch to end the game in favor of the Pirates.
Jake can rake. pic.twitter.com/GsZBC5keME
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 18, 2021
How about Diaz pointing up like he thought it was a routine fly? Wishful thinking, perhaps.
The Mets came into Saturday with a three-game lead in the NL East while the Pirates were in last place in the NL Central. A six-run lead should always be good enough heading to the bottom of the eighth, but it should especially be enough here. Take a look at the win expectancy chart:
Source: FanGraphs
The low point for the Pirates came in the middle of the eighth inning when they had a 0.6 percent chance to win. Yes, the Mets had a 99.4 percent chance to win a game that they ended up losing. Remarkable.
