The weather may have delayed the start, but it couldn’t cool down the Pittsburgh Pirates, who shut out the New York Mets 4-0 on AAPI Night at Citi Field. With scattered showers throughout the night and a late start due to rain, the Pirates took advantage of early mistakes and timely hits to secure a much-needed win as they avoided an on-the-road series sweep.
Clay Holmes set the tone for Pittsburgh from the jump, retiring the Mets in order in the first inning. On the other side, left-hander Bailey Falter, carrying a 2-3 record and a 4.36 ERA into the game, quickly found himself in trouble. Mark Vientos led off the Mets’ half with a sharp single, and after a walk to Pete Alonso and another to Starling Marte, New York had the bases loaded with just one out. But Falter buckled down, escaping the jam unscathed and keeping the Mets off the scoreboard.
A drizzle returned as the game moved into the second inning, but the Pirates brought their own thunder. With one on, Ronny Gorski launched a two-run shot into left-center, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. As grounds crews scrambled to keep the infield dry, the Pirates’ bats did the rest.
In the fifth, Holmes was tagged for a pitch clock violation during Ji Hwan Bae’s at-bat, and Bae would go on to reach base with a slow roller to the mound. Jared Triolo capitalized, knocking in Bae to double the Pirates’ lead to 4-0.
The Mets’ offense, which had been red-hot earlier in the series, struggled to string anything together. Despite multiple opportunities—including a bases-loaded threat in the fourth and another in the eighth—the Mets couldn’t break through. Holmes exited after four strikeouts and two solo shots allowed, handing the ball to LHP Yohan Cabrera, who was nearly flawless in relief. Cabrera held New York hitless in his outing and stranded all three runners in the eighth to preserve the shutout.
On the other end, Tanner Rainey and Chase Shugart helped hold the line for Pittsburgh, combining for three innings of lockdown relief. Even as the Pirates’ bats cooled slightly in the later innings, they continued to put pressure on the Mets’ pitching. In the top of the eighth, singles from Alexander Canario and Joey Bart kept the momentum going, loading the bases again and stretching out an already dominant outing.
Though a sweep was on the table, the Mets couldn’t capitalize, and the Pirates made sure to take advantage of every opening. With better control on the mound and sharper execution at the plate, Pittsburgh left Queens with a shutout win—and a little momentum of their own.