PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bo Bichette went 5 for 5 with a three-run double and scored three times, Luis Robert Jr. homered and drove in four, and the New York Mets routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-1 on Sunday.
Sean Manaea pitched seven strong innings and struck out 11, most by a New York starter this season. Francisco Alvarez also went deep and Jared Young had three hits for the last-place Mets, who improved to 5-1 on a nine-game trip following a substantial selloff ahead of last Monday’s trade deadline.
Coming off a 9-0 defeat Saturday night, New York turned the tables and outhit Pittsburgh 15-4. Bichette had a bases-loaded double in the fourth that pushed the lead to 8-1. Robert launched a two-run shot in the third, and Alvarez homered leading off the fifth.
Manaea (4-5) allowed only Jake Mangum’s homer in the third. The big left-hander gave up three hits and walked none.
Jack Weisenburger, just called up from Triple-A Syracuse, tossed two scoreless innings in his major league debut to finish it.
Pirates starter Jared Jones (2-4) was tagged for eight runs and six hits in three-plus innings. He walked three and hit two batters with pitches as Pittsburgh lost for the fifth time in six games.
Rookie outfielder Carson Benge returned to the Mets’ lineup from a sore left wrist and went 2 for 5 with an RBI single and a walk.
Up next
Mets: Travel to Atlanta to open a three-game series Monday night with RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.15 ERA) starting against RHP Bryce Elder (8-6, 3.69).
Pirates: Begin a three-game series at Miami on Tuesday night as RHP Paul Skenes (9-10, 3.96 ERA) faces RHP Eury Pérez (5-9, 3.61).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
John Perrotto, The Associated Press
