A day after Harrison Bader delivered a go-ahead hit with a dribbler in the bottom of the eighth against the Royals, he came through again Monday versus Pittsburgh, this time with a double to put the Mets ahead as they got back to .500 on the season with a 6-3 comeback win at Citi Field.
They erased a three-run deficit in the sixth before Bader put them up two innings later with a rocket to left off Aroldis Chapman.
The winning rally started with Jeff McNeil reaching on a wild pitch on a Chapman strikeout.
D.J. Stewart, who had previously knocked in the tying runs in the sixth with a pinch-hit double, walked, and both runners stole off Chapman to set up Bader’s big hit that helped the Mets win for the fourth time in five games.
It came as the Mets have won three straight series to put their 0-5 start further back in the rearview mirror, now back to 8-8, while the surprising Pirates fell to 11-7.
On Monday, Adrian Houser and Pittsburgh lefty Martin Perez were locked in a pitchers’ duel, scoreless through five.
Pittsburgh broke through against Houser in the sixth as the right-hander was finally burned by one of his five walks.
After Ke’Bryan Hayes led off with a walk, he moved to second on Rowdy Tellez’s grounder to first and scored the game’s first run on Andrew McCutchen’s single through the right side of the infield to end Houser’s outing.
Drew Smith entered and walked Jack Suwinski before Connor Joe made it a 2-0 game with a rocket single to center.
A sacrifice fly by Jared Triolo put the Mets in a 3-0 hole.
But the Mets answered right back.
Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor started the bottom of the inning with hard-hit singles to bring up the red-hot Pete Alonso, but the first baseman popped out.
Brett Baty singled to load the bases for Francisco Alvarez, who walked to drive in the Mets’ first run.
McNeil followed with a fly ball to right, too shallow to score Lindor from third, but Joe made an ill-conceived and wild throw to first and Lindor came home on the error to get the Mets to within a run.
Stewart, pinch-hitting for Tyrone Taylor, then belted a game-tying double to right off right-hander Hunter Stratton.
Bader was hit by a pitch to fill the bases again, but Brandon Nimmo’s groundout ended the inning with the score tied.
After the Mets got scoreless innings out of the bullpen by Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino, they rallied again in the eighth.
Bader followed his two-run double by swiping third and scoring on a fielder’s choice by Nimmo to give the Mets a 6-3 lead.
