The 2026 Pirates entered the All-Star break riding high, sweeping the division-leading Brewers and moving to three games over .500. Since then, however, the team has struggled to maintain that momentum, and this weekend was another difficult series.
The Mets came into PNC Park looking to turn their season around, and they took advantage of some early opportunities in Game 1.
Carmen Mlodzinski returned to the starting rotation with the news that Mitch Keller will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. Mlodzinski lasted three innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits.
Evan Sisk followed by allowing another run, putting the Pirates in a 6-0 hole by the fourth inning.
The Mets also took advantage of some opportunities on the basepaths. Rafael Flores Jr. had a difficult afternoon behind the plate, as New York stole four bases, including one from Luis Torrens, which was only the second stolen base of his decade-long big-league career.
The Pirates had trouble generating offense against Mets left-hander Zac Thornton, who held Pittsburgh scoreless through five innings.
The Bucs eventually made things interesting, scoring two runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth. However, a Jacob Gonzalez baserunning mistake and a Bryan Reynolds groundout ended the comeback attempt against Devin Williams, and the Mets held on for a 6-4 victory.
Game 2 provided a much-needed response from the Pirates.
Pittsburgh's offense came out aggressively against Robert Stock, who was making just his second appearance of the 2026 season. Jake Mangum, Henry Davis and Ronny Simon all contributed at the plate as the Pirates put together one of their best offensive performances of the recent stretch.
Bubba Chandler was outstanding on the mound, throwing six scoreless innings. New additions Lake Bachar and Kirby Yates followed with strong outings of their own, combining to keep the Mets from advancing a runner past second base.
Brandon Lowe also added a home run off Luis Torrens, who took the mound in the seventh inning.
The Pirates cruised to a 9-0 victory, evening the series and setting up an opportunity to win their first series since mid-July.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the series finale went in the opposite direction.
Jared Jones, who had been excellent during July, struggled from the beginning and allowed eight runs over three innings. The Mets continued to put pressure on the Pirates' pitching staff throughout the afternoon, reaching double-digit runs by the fifth inning.
Mason Montgomery provided one of the better relief appearances for Pittsburgh, but the Pirates struggled to slow down New York's offense overall.
At the plate, Jake Mangum provided a home run, but Pittsburgh once again had difficulty generating consistent offense against a left-handed starter. Sean Manaea kept the Pirates in check as the Mets pulled away.
The Series MVP is an easy choice: Bubba Chandler.
Chandler delivered six scoreless innings in Game 2 and continues to show encouraging signs as the season progresses. While his role for the remainder of 2026 remains something to watch, his recent stretch should provide plenty of confidence heading into 2027.
The Pirates leave the series with plenty to evaluate as they try to regain the momentum they had before the All-Star break.
The team has an off day tomorrow before traveling to Miami for a series against the Marlins. Paul Skenes is scheduled to start Game 1 against Eury Pérez, giving Pittsburgh an opportunity to reset and begin the road trip on a positive note.
The Pirates still have baseball ahead of them, and the focus now shifts toward finding more consistency on both sides of the ball and putting together a strong stretch of baseball in Miami.
Let's Go Bucs.
