MLB

‘Throwback’ effort as Mets fend off Pirates

PITTSBURGH — Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia were the biggest Royal Giants of them all on a day the Mets appeared ready for a leisurely cruise on the Allegheny River, only to hit resistance.

With the Mets wearing all-blue throwback uniforms Saturday to commemorate the Brooklyn Royal Giants of the Negro Leagues, Familia and Mejia combined for three perfect innings of relief in a 5-3 victory over the Pirates before 38,930 at PNC Park that snapped a three-game skid.

Familia retired all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings before Mejia worked a perfect ninth, allowing Jon Niese to get the victory on a day when he didn’t have his best command.

In 13 appearances this month, Familia has allowed one earned run for a 0.69 ERA.

“When you think positive, positive things will come,” Familia said.

Mejia pitched two scoreless frames in the Mets’ 3-2 loss in 11 innings Friday night, but showed no signs of fatigue a day later, breezing through the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances.

“What we’ve got to do is get them the lead,” manager Terry Collins said. “Get the lead and let those two guys go out there and finish them off. They have been real impressive.”

Niese (5-4) was tested in running his streak to 20 straight starts of allowing three earned runs or fewer. The lefty lasted six innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. After barely surviving the fourth and fifth innings, he needed only six pitches to get through the sixth.

The game stayed close after the Mets failed to build off the 5-0 lead they established through two innings. In both the fourth and seventh innings, the Mets put two runners on base, but couldn’t deliver a key hit.

Gerrit Cole, in his first start off the disabled list, allowed five earned runs on seven hits over four innings with four strikeouts and three walks. The right-hander hadn’t pitched since May 29 because of shoulder fatigue.

Neil Walker’s RBI single in the fifth sliced the Mets’ lead to 5-3 and put the tying runs on base. But Niese retired Pedro Alvarez to keep the Mets ahead.

Niese lost the strike zone in the fourth, walking three straight batters to force in two runs and pull the Pirates within 5-2. The damage could have been worse, but Niese rebounded to strike out pinch-hitter Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco to end the inning.

“I think I was the worst pitcher in the world in the fourth and the fifth, the dumbest pitcher,” Niese said. “And then I went back to where I started. I’m just glad I got out of that, because it could have gotten ugly quick.”

Daniel Murphy’s two-run single in the second had extended the Mets’ lead to 5-0. Eric Young Jr. and Curtis Granderson walked in the inning, and Young Jr. stole second and third base.

Eric Campbell’s RBI double was the Mets’ big hit in the first inning, when they scored three runs against Cole. The rookie Campbell finished 3-for-4 with two doubles.

The Mets reached the midway point of the season 37-44 — a pace that would give them 74 victories for a third straight year.

“We’re not going to make any excuses, we’re not happy about it,” Collins said. “As I told the guys the other day, we’ve got to push through the All-Star break. We talked [Friday], we have like 15 games before the break, let’s go 10-5. Then you come out of the break, you’re rested and healthy and let’s take off after that.”