Sports Network | August 21, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Mike Pelfrey tossed eight effective innings and was backed by a 15-hit attack, as the Mets beat the Pirates, 7-2, to open a three-game series.
Pelfrey (12-7) gave up two runs — one earned — on six hits and two walks, and struck out five.
“I want to try to stay consistent and give the team a chance to win,” said Pelfrey, who pitched well despite a stomach illness.
The Mets’ offense was led by Jose Reyes and David Wright, as each went 3- for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Chris Carter was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for New York, which put itself in good position to win the series.
The Mets have not won a road series against a National League team this season.
Ryan Doumit homered for the Pirates, who fell to 40-82 to clinch their 18th consecutive losing season — a record in American professional sports.
Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens (2-10) lost his fourth consecutive start after allowing all seven runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.
“There’s going to be outings like this…It’s part of the game. Everyone goes through it. I just have to bounce back,” Karstens said.
The Mets got started in the first inning, which Reyes opened with a single. He later stole second base and scored on Carter’s two-out single. Wright, Ike Davis and Josh Thole followed with consecutive singles to plate two more runs and give New York a 3-0 lead.
Doumit’s one-out solo shot in the second got the Pirates on the board, but the Mets countered with two more runs in the third.
Carter led off the inning with his third homer of the season and first since June 13. Wright followed with a single, swiped second and scored on Thole’s one-out base hit.
Andrew McCutchen’s single in the bottom of the third plated Ronny Cedeno, who had reached on Wright’s throwing error. The hit got the Pirates within 5-2, but the Mets had another answer in the fourth.
Reyes doubled with one out and moved to third on Angel Pagan’s single, which chased Karstens. Sean Gallagher entered and gave up a single to Carlos Beltran that plated two because of an error by left fielder Jose Tabata.
The runs were assigned to Karstens, while Gallagher pitched three scoreless innings. However, Pelfrey held Pittsburgh scoreless for the rest of his start, and Bobby Parnell pitched the ninth to end the game.
Pelfrey is one away from matching his career high for wins in a season (he won 13 in 2008)…Pagan and Davis each had two hits for New York, which went 6- for-11 with runners in scoring position…McCutchen had two hits and a steal for the Pirates…Karstens, who did not walk a batter, had his shortest start of the season and gave up a season high in runs.