Mets undone by questionable choices in extra-inning loss to Pirates for first 2026 defeat

It took one defeat for the questions for the Mets to start.

There have been questions regarding why Richard Lovelady — the whimsically named final man to crack the Opening Day bullpen — was pitching in a tie sport in further innings for a second straight day.

There have been questions why Francisco Lindor was waved house, an aggressive ship from third-base coach Tim Leiper, with no outs because the potential tying run was gunned down.

Within the third sport of the season, the Mets encountered their first setback with a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Pirates that meant their first sequence victory of the season was not a sweep.

The successful runs arrived within the tenth with Lovelady, who had pitched Saturday, too, on the mound. Lovelady adopted Huascar Brazobán, Sean Manaea (who gritted by 1 ⅓ innings) and Luke Weaver, a trio who had coated 4 scoreless innings. Unused had been nearer Devin Williams, who had thrown 19 pitches Saturday, Brooks Raley (11 pitches Saturday) and Luis García (19).

If Lovelady had been drained, he confirmed it as a Ryan O’Hearn single created the Pirates’ lead and a Henry Davis RBI single created a cushion.

That cushion was wanted.

Within the backside of the inning, Lindor drew a leadoff stroll earlier than Soto drilled an opposite-field double that one-hopped the wall in left-center. However a robust Pirates relay reduce down Lindor on the plate in loads of time,

Leiper confirmed aggression regardless of Bo Bichette able to step up with out an out and runners on second and third. Soto can be stranded to disappoint the 36,940 who confirmed up on a cold however sunny day.

A day that started as McLean Day — Nolan’s season debut after so charming the fan base final season — acquired off to a wierd begin.

Of the electrical righty’s first eight pitches, seven had been balls. He walked the primary two batters he confronted, wanted 15 pitches to document his first out and allowed a run on an O’Hearn RBI single. When he lastly escaped, he had expended 24 pitches.

If there have been jitters, they had been passed by the second inning, when McLean settled in and appeared extra just like the star he might develop into.

In 5 innings, McLean allowed two runs — the opposite on Brandon Lowe’s third homer of the season, which got here within the third inning — on 4 hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.

The Pirates put two on base within the third, however McLean wanted three pitches to strike out Spencer Horwits. Within the fifth, Lowe looped a one-out double down the left-field line and was stranded on second as a result of McLean acquired a beneficiant name to strike out Bryan Reynolds — who surprisingly didn’t problem a pitch a number of inches exterior — after which turned to a nasty curveball to take a seat down O’Hearn, McLean strutting and roaring to the dugout.