Lindor becomes first Met with 20 steals, 20 homers since 2008 as New York beats Pirates 7-2

Updated Aug. 14, 2023 11:16 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor became the first Met to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases since 2008 as New York beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2 on Monday night to win consecutive games for the first time in more than two weeks.

Jonathan Araúz hit a two-run homer while Daniel Vogelbach and Brandon Nimmo added solo homers as the Mets scored in each of the first six innings in a home game for the first time since June 25, 1987, against the Cubs. Pete Alonso added an RBI double that scored Nimmo from first base.

The Mets won consecutive games for the first time since July 27-28, right before they traded veterans Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander along with several others ahead of the trade deadline.

“Solid, everybody seemed to make a contribution,” New York manager Buck Showalter said.

Lindor singled off rookie Quinn Priester (2-2) in the third, doubled in the fifth and scored each time.

The shortstop scored on Jeff McNeil’s go-ahead RBI single after he advanced two bases on a passed ball and wild pitch in a span of two pitches. Lindor also stole his 20th base in the fifth when he swiped third and trotted home on McNeil’s sacrifice fly to give New York a 6-2 lead.

Lindor became the first Met to join the 20-20 club since Carlos Beltrán finished with 27 homers and 25 stolen bases in New York’s final season at Shea Stadium. Lindor reached the 20-20 club for the third time in his career after achieving the feat in 2018 and 2019 with Cleveland.

“You got to step back and go through rosters for 14 years and I’m sure it’ll really get your attention,” Showalter said. “Just another very quiet milestone he reaches to remind us all what a splendid player he is.”

Lindor’s milestone occurred after he entered the third hitless in 10 at-bats since missing Friday’s 7-0 loss to Atlanta due to an injury in his right side that ended his streak of consecutive games played at 223.

He said he did not realize he reached 20 steals until Vogelbach alerted him and credited first base coach Wayne Kirby.

“I thought I had like two more to get to 20 but it’s really cool whenever I get to be next to one of my role models growing up, someone I try to be like,” Lindor said. “It’s special for sure. I’m blessed to be in this position.”

It was the 19th time a Met reached the milestone and the first time a shortstop achieved it.

“He’s an unbelievable player and I’m glad to have him on my team,” Nimmo said.

Rookie Henry Davis hit an RBI single in his New York debut with several family and friends in the stands. The Westchester native went 1 for 3 and got picked off to end the first inning.

Ke’Bryan Hayes added an RBI double in the third as the Pirates lost for the 10th time in their last 12 trips to Citi Field.

Carlos Carrasco labored through three innings and allowed two runs and four hits. Tyson Miller (1-0) pitched two innings in his Mets’ debut and got his second career win.

After Hayes tied the game, Carrasco struck out Alfonso Rivas with the bases loaded. McNeil singled to left for a 3-2 lead.

Miller stranded two in the fourth and Araúz blasted a 1-2 pitch over the right-center field fence for his sixth career homer and third hit since joining the Mets.

Priester allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings.

“We left too many balls over the middle of the plate and when you do that, especially in advantage counts, we get hurt because of it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

NEWCOMERS

Miller and Sam Coonrod became the 54th and 55th players respectively to appear for the Mets this season.

Miller was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday and Coonrod struck out two in the sixth after missing more than four months with a lat strain.

“That’s a long path to get back here,” Showalter said of Coonrod, who made 10 rehab appearances before being activated.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RF Starling Marte (right groin strain), who is eligible to come off the injured list Wednesday, said he has not begun baseball activities but hopes to play in rehab games and return this season. “We’re working out there right now and we hope that it’s soon,” he said through a translator. “I still have some work to do here and then we can sit down and create a plan on what we’re going to do.” … LHP Josh Walker (strained right oblique) was placed on the 15-day IL and RHP John Curtiss (right elbow) was placed on the 60-day IL.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh LHP Bailey Falter (0-7, 5.21 ERA) makes his third start since being acquired from Philadelphia and opposes New York LHP David Peterson (3-7, 5.61) on Tuesday.

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