Final Score: Pirates 5, Mets 3 — Pass the poison, please.

The Mets dropped the series finale to the Pirates 5-3 tonight in Queens. Zack Wheeler had a magnificent start, throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking just one, while scattering four hits.

The Mets got on the board in the third inning on back to back hits by Jose Bautista and Asdrubal Cabrera, putting them up 2-0 against the former Yankee Ivan Nova. In the bottom of the sixth, Wilmer Flores hit a solo home run, giving the Mets an insurance run before the bullpen took over.

It would not be enough, however, as Robert Gsellman gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth, and then Jeurys Familia let in a run before leaving the game with the bases loaded and no one out. Anthony Swarzak came in and promptly gave up a two-run single, putting the Pirates up 4-3. A sac fly later, and the Mets came to bat two runs down, after entering the inning up two.

Closer Felipe Vazquez took care of the Mets in the ninth, closing the book on what looked like a solid team win with just three outs to go. Ugh.

Full recap to follow.

GameThread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.

1. MetsFan4Decades: 94
2. stickguy: 57
3. jed_eye: 32
4. Allison McCague: 30
5. Jets Mets Devils Nets 16: 24
6. Kepler: 23
7. LaRomaBella: 23
8. NateW: 23
9. The Nameless One: 21
10. AnneInFlushing: 21