The New York Mets came back on Tuesday to take the second game of their series against the Pirates. The Bucs' offense exploded for five runs on Monday night to erase a four-run deficit and take the series opener, but the lineup went quiet against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. The Mets' starter struck out 11 Bucs hitters in seven innings of work. Andrew McCutchen knocked in both runs on a sac fly and single.
James McDonald, who was coming off that dazzling 6 inning stretch in Washington where he mowed down the Nationals lineup, continued his strong season with another eight-strikeout performance. He allowed just one run and four hits in seven innings of work. But with the McDonald out of the game and Juan Cruz on in relief, it all came apart for the Bucs in the 8th. Lucas Duda singled home Michael Baxter, who led off the inning with a double, to put the Mets back in front 2-1. The decisive run, however, would come two batters later when Pedro Alvarez committed an error at third base which allowed Kirk Nieuwenhuis to score.
The Bucs would get a run in the bottom of the inning but McCutchen was stranded on second as the tying run when Alvarez struck out to end the inning. The decisive Game 3 will be a matinee on Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park. Charlie Morton will face Jonathon Niese.
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