Lamar Johnson can retire now as Mets hitting coach: The team is undefeated in his tenure.
But that is more a function of the Mets bullpen than any nuggets Johnson might have imparted on the lineup in his debut Tuesday.
Vic Black and Jenrry Mejia bailed out a stagnant lineup by combining for 3¹/₃ scoreless innings in the Mets’ 4-2 victory over the Pirates at Citi Field.
Johnson, who replaced fired Dave Hudgens as hitting coach, was careful before the game to downplay any effect he might have on a Mets lineup that hasn’t scored more than five runs in a nine-inning game at Citi Field since April 5.
“These guys here, they are professional hitters — they have been playing this game a long time so they know their swing,” Johnson said. “I’m just here as another set of eyes to help them with things that they can’t see.”
The Mets (23-28) left 10 runners on base and were 3-for-16 (.188) with runners in scoring position .
With the Mets bullpen thin, Mejia worked two scoreless innings for his fourth save. Mejia’s big pitch came in the eighth, when he got pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez to hit into an inning-ending double play with the tying runs on base.
“Now I’m ready for any situation that comes up,” said Mejia, who last week pitched back-to-back games for the first time since moving from the rotation to bullpen. “I don’t worry about it.”
There was a heartbeat from the Mets in the sixth, when Juan Lagares stroked an RBI single to give the Mets a 3-2 lead and Daniel Murphy’s ensuing run-scoring double against Jeanmar Gomez added insurance.
Black aced his first test of the season, firing 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings after the Pirates had scored twice against Jon Niese to make it 2-2.
Black, who arrived from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Jose Valverde — the veteran reliever was released Monday — walked Neil Walker to load the bases in the sixth before striking out pinch-hitter Ike Davis to end the inning.
Niese needed 104 pitches to get through 5²/₃ innings in which he allowed two earned runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Starling Marte’s two-run single in the sixth spoiled Niese’s outing and tied it 2-2. Niese created his own jam, walking the bases loaded.
“It’s not what I wanted to do there, but Vic got out of it for me,” Niese said.
Lagares’ RBI double in the fourth extended the Mets’ lead to 2-0. Ruben Tejada, who reached base four times, doubled leading off the inning.
Bobby Abreu’s RBI single in the third put the Mets ahead 1-0. Murphy doubled with one out and Curtis Granderson walked to start the rally.
It was the third straight start for the 40-year-old Abreu as the Mets continue to keep slumping Chris Young on the bench. Eric Young Jr. was placed on the disabled list Monday with a strained right hamstring.