Comeback-prone Mets keep heating up, top Pirates

Joey Wendle and Jeff McNeil each had an RBI double in the seventh inning on Tuesday night for the host New York Mets, who mounted another comeback to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1.

The Mets have won the first two games of the three-game series and nine of 12 overall since an 0-5 start. At 9-8, New York is over .500 for the first time since it was 30-29 on June 3, 2023.

The Pirates have lost five of their past seven.

Rookie Jared Jones, making his fourth career start, and Luis L. Ortiz combined to retire 16 straight batters between the second and seventh before the Mets rallied against Ortiz (1-1) and Jose Hernandez.

With one out, Ortiz walked Francisco Lindor, who went to third on a single by Pete Alonso. Wendle, who entered the game at third base in the top of the inning for an injured Brett Baty (left hamstring tightness), followed with a game-tying RBI double.

Ortiz retired Francisco Alvarez on a flyout to left before Hernandez entered and balked Alonso home for the go-ahead run before he even threw a pitch. McNeil then laced his run-scoring double.

It was the second straight comeback win for the Mets, who trailed 3-0 in the sixth inning of a 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Monday night. New York has overcome deficits in six of its wins.

Reed Garrett (2-0) struck out six in two scoreless innings of relief. Drew Smith, the Mets' fourth pitcher, earned his first save of the season by striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Mets starter Jose Quintana allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings. The Pirates scored their lone run against Quintana in the fifth, when Alika Williams doubled with one out and scored on Bryan Reynolds' two-out, check-swing single.

The Mets' comeback cost Jones a chance at the win after another impressive start. The 22-year-old allowed just one hit -- a bloop double by Alonso in the second -- and walked none while fanning seven over five scoreless innings. Jones threw just 59 pitches, including 50 for strikes, in lowering his ERA to 3.13. He has 32 strikeouts and two walks in 23 innings this year.

--Field Level Media