Mets complete doubleheader sweep of Pirates with ease

The Mets’ brief stretch of struggling against bad teams ended tonight in Pittsburgh, as the first-place team scored often and early and got a great start from Jacob deGrom.

With a four-run second inning, the Mets jumped out to the early lead, one that was more than enough given deGrom’s performance on the night. In total, the two-time Cy Young winner went seven scoreless innings, struck out eight, walked one, and gave up just three hits.

Those first four Mets runs scored on a bases loaded walk to Brandon Nimmo, a wild pitch with Eduardo Escobar at the plate, and a two-run double from Francisco Lindor. And it was Lindor who drove in the Mets’ fifth run of the night with another double in the top of the fourth. Jeff McNeil followed suit in that inning, doubling in two runs himself to give the team a 7-0 lead.

In the seventh, Tyler Naquin double in a run before Escobar singled to plate him, giving the Mets a pair of insurance runs that were far beyond what they needed but very enjoyable nonetheless. Daniel Vogelbach singled in the Mets’ tenth run of the night a single in the eighth.

Adam Ottavino threw a scoreless eighth inning in relief of deGrom, and the left-handed Alex Claudio followed suit in his Mets debut in the ninth inning.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Francisco Lindor, +19.4% WPA
Big Mets loser: Daniel Vogelbach, -3.7% WPA
Mets pitchers: +15.9% WPA
Mets hitters: +34.1% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Lindor hits a two-run double in the second, +13.2% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Bryan Reynolds singles in the first, -5.4% WPA