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It was like Sandy Alderson always imagined. And then, it was exactly as he left it.
As Zack Wheeler prepares for his first win since April 29 – extending his series of good performances with seven shutout runs – the Mets kiosk has exploded in a clbadic way, losing four points in the ninth in a defeat 5-3 Pirates Wednesday night at Citi Field.
With just three straight outings for the second time since May 21, the Mets will be heading to Miami this weekend for a fight in the basement of eastern NL, with the Marlins losing 15 their last 17 home games. .
After Wheeler tied his seven-run record for the second consecutive outing, the right-handed – one of Alderson's largest and oldest acquisitions after being bought by Carlos Beltran in July 2011 – was on the verge of ending a series of 10 consecutive starts without a win.
Goalkeeper Robert Gsellman then allowed a series of points in eighth, but Jeurys Familia retained a two-point cushion by entering ninth place, looking for his 15th goal.
The closest Mets faced four batters, removing none. He dropped three singles and one walk before going out to boos with the bases loaded and the Mets hanging at a 3-2 lead. Anthony Swarzak then gagged on his last opportunity at redemption, immediately allowing a two-point single to David Freese.
Although Wheeler was 0-5 with a 5.14 CMI at Citi Field this season, the 28-year-old was brilliant throughout the evening, alternating dominance and skill.
With a 3.98 ERA at the beginning of June – after posting a 6.43 ERA in May – Wheeler allowed two riders to reach the base first, but kept the chart up. clean display and removed 10 batters in a row. When he faced problems in the fifth inning – allowing Corey Dickerson to grab a single lead, then Gregory Polanco – Wheeler kept the blank game intact with three points lost. He finished with a hitter batting Austin Meadows to sneak two riders into the scoring position.
Wheeler allowed only five hits and one walk while removing seven hits. He threw 105 shots (75 strikes) and dropped his MPM (4.47) to its lowest since April.
"It's confidence." He's confident and he's confident, "said manager Mickey Callaway before the game, noting the difference to Wheeler recently. "He's attacking the batters, he's not worried about putting the ball somewhere because they could hit it, he did a great job in really adjusting his mentality."
The worst home attack of the Majors has done enough to support Wheeler, but not enough to not rely on the bullpen.
With two outs in the third inning, Jose Bautista gave the Mets a lead by opening a fast 2-2 ball over Ivan Nova in the right field for an RBI double. Asdrubal Cabrera then knocked across the plate and gave a 3-2 quick left to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Wilmer Flores added his sixth home run of the season on a solo shot left in the sixth inning. It was Flores' fifth straight game with an RBI and his second run over the last three games. He also reached the base in 13 straight games during which he disputed a plate.
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