Luis Severino joined the six-inning club Wednesday, but it wasn’t easy.
Throughout the afternoon the veteran right-hander put plenty of traffic on the bases, with three walks as a factor. But the Mets, turning three double plays, gave Severino a boost.
And so, for only the fourth time this season, the Mets had a starting pitcher complete six innings. They also completed a three-game sweep of the Pirates with a 9-1 victory at Citi Field.
The Mets (10-8) won their fourth straight overall and departed for California for six games against the Dodgers and Giants as a team executing on all fronts.
Severino was charged with only an unearned run over his six innings, in which he allowed five hits and struck out four. Jose Butto (twice) and Sean Manaea provided the Mets with the other starts of at least six innings.
“We mixed some two-seamers in there to get some double plays and I think that helped,” Severino said.
For Severino, who lowered his ERA to 2.14, it was a third straight start of allowing one earned run or less. On this day he got the win — his first in a Mets uniform.
Severino, pitching to contact, averaged 96.3 mph with his four-seam fastball and got only three swings and misses with the pitch.
“Today, even though he went out for that sixth inning with 85 pitches I felt comfortable because the [velocity] was there,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s important that the starters give us some length because it’s a long season and we have to protect some guys out there in the bullpen.”
Starling Marte and Harrison Bader provided the offensive fireworks, each with a two-run homer. The sweep was the Mets’ first since July 4-6 of last season in Arizona.
The Pirates arrived in Queens as a hot team, with 11 victories in 16 games to begin the season, but got steamrolled 18-5 in the series.
“We’re doing great,” Severino said. “We’re scoring a lot of runs and the defense was unbelievable today, we turned three double plays, so I think we are where we want to be.”
Francisco Alvarez’s catcher’s interference helped the Pirates score an unearned run in the third to take a 1-0 lead.
Henry Davis hit Alvarez’s left hand with his swing and was awarded first base before Alika Williams singled.
Severino got Oneil Cruz to hit into a double play, but Bryan Reynolds’ ensuing infield single brought in the run.
Severino encountered further danger in the inning with an errant pickoff throw that allowed Reynolds to reach second and walked Connor Joe before retiring Rowdy Tellez to escape.
Marte’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.
Zack Short drew a leadoff walk against Bailey Falter in the inning and, with one out, Marte cleared the fence in left-center for career homer No. 150.
Severino escaped trouble in the fifth by getting a third double play of the afternoon turned behind him. After Cruz singled and Reynolds walked, Joe hit a grounder to third that became an inning-ender.
The Pirates weren’t retired in order by Severino until the sixth, when Tellez, Edward Olivares and Jack Suwinski were easily handled in an 11-pitch inning.
Bader’s first homer in a Mets uniform, a two-run blast against Hunter Stratton, highlighted a sixth inning in which the Mets scored four runs to build a 6-1 lead.
Tyrone Taylor delivered a two-run single before Bader crushed a shot into the left-field seats. Bader had go-ahead hits for the Mets in victories Sunday and Monday.
Alvarez’s RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth and Brandon Nimmo’s two-run double accounted for the Mets’ final scoring.
“We have a great group in here and it’s been fun,” Taylor said. “We are having a fun time playing for each other and I think that creates a winning mentality and it’s been cool to see us get some wins lately.”
