Pirates vs Mets Thursday in NY

All in all, a rollicking night for the New York Mets at Citi Field. Conforto homered off Pirates starter Juan Nicasio in the third inning, his 10th home run of the season.

“Anytime you’re entertained, it helps, you know?”

“They’ve got some left-handed hitters that are good down and in, and the ball ended up down and in”, manager Clint Hurdle said.

Taillon (1-0) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of his second major league start, dominating a rematch with the Mets as Pittsburgh snapped its five-game losing streak and won for the 10th time in the past 11 meetings with NY. He had a little trouble but he managed to get through it.

“We got together and we went out there and tried to relax and have good at-bats”, Flores said.

Recording the 17th leadoff homer of his Mets career, the 35-year-old surpassed a mark previously set by shortstop Jose Reyes, who spent nine seasons in the “Big Apple”.

“I don’t like to run very much, but I imagine the fans have a lot of fun watching me out there running”, Colon said in Spanish. “Thank God for Walker and Conforto’s home runs”. “Hopefully tomorrow I can be back out there”. That’s not to say Colon and Fernandez are equals, but more that there isn’t a team in baseball that would be anything short of thrilled to be getting the kind of performance out of a nominal No. 5 starter that Colon is providing. “It’s pretty impressive. Everybody loves him”.

The Mets played a quick video tribute just before the game to Pirates LHP Jonathon Niese, who tipped his cap to the crowd from the dugout.

Earlier, he froze Pirates star Andrew McCutchen for strike three looking on a 101 miles per hour fastball in the fourth and a 100 miles per hour heater to end the sixth with two on.

He didn’t allow a run until Matt Joyce led off the eighth with a home run.

“I don’t think this will take more than two days”, Flores said after Thursday’s 6-4 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On consecutive pitches in Thursday’s third inning, Erik Kratz settled into his squat and established the desired location for an off-speed pitch – low and on a corner.

Last week, Nicasio faced the Mets for the first time this season and was able to pick up the win. He has converted a club-record 38 regular-season chances in a row dating to last August – though he did blow a four-run lead in the ninth inning of a game this year.

The Mets took two of three from the Pirates in the series. They finished 3-3 in the season series after going 0-6 past year. It was the seventh run of Colon’s career and the first one he’s scored on a sacrifice fly.

The Pirates, meanwhile, may have lost another player when left fielder Starling Marte suffered a facial injury while diving for a single by Yoenis Cespedes in the fifth inning. RHP Ryan Vogelsong, on the 60-day DL after sustaining facial fractures when he was hit by a pitch last month, is “doing remarkable”, head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said.

The outlook is less positive for Mets outfielder Juan Lagares, who was scratched due to a sore left thumb about an hour before first pitch. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day. “He went in the cage to hit and he couldn’t swing”, Collins said.

Late replacement Kelly Johnson also homered for NY, which had lost three straight and six of nine. Utility player Ty Kelly was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Taillon’s next outing will be Sunday night at Wrigley Field against the major league-leading Chicago Cubs. Tonight’s starter, Jake Arrieta, won the Cy Young award previous year and is 10-1 with a 1.86 ERA.