NEW YORK -- Do you want to watch a record-setting play?
In the fifth inning Saturday at Citi Field, Mets starter Chris Bassit delivered a low breaking ball, Oneil Cruz whiffed on an off-balance swing and the shortstop headed back to the Pirates' dugout.
It would be one of four strikeouts for the rookie, but this one in particular...
That was strikeout No. 1,355 on the season, passing the 2012 team for the most in franchise history.
It would also be just one of the 12 strikeouts on the night for the Pirates, who lost to the Mets, 5-1.
The first gamer of this series -- a 16 strikeout performance -- focused on the sheer number of strikeouts from the Pirates this year, some of which can be chalked up to them being young. It could also have a snowball effect where some early strikeouts could get hitters out of their approach, making a bad strikeout night become worse. Saturday was the 36th time the Pirates struck out at least a dozen times in a game/
"I think you learn the approach and adjust. In some of those games, we've just seen really good pitching, and that comes into play," Derek Shelton said. "But I do think as guys get more mature, they get more at-bats, you have the ability to execute a better plan."
But it's worth repeating that first game: The fact that they're a young team isn't going to show up as an asterisk in the record book. As a team, their overall results are fairly similar or worse in many important categories. There might not be enough runway left in this season to change that.
MORE ON THE GAME
• If strikeouts were the problem for Pirate hitters Saturday -- and most of the season -- free passes and walks were the issue on the pitching side. Bryse Wilson, Eric Stout and Chase De Jong would combine to walk eight and hit four batters.
Since at least 1901, it's just the 13th time in MLB history where a team plunked four and walked eight.
Of the miscues and mistakes the Pirates have made, the free passes really do seem to irk Shelton perhaps the most. So I asked what could be done in 2023 to finally take a serious cut into those walk totals.
"It has to be a continued focus of throwing the ball on the plate," he said. "That's as much talking about it, teaching it, execution of it. Whether it's the guys we put in our bullpen or the guys we acquire, making sure that they're guys that throw strikes."
• For Wilson, a three-run shot by Eduardo Escobar in the second was more than enough to put the Mets out in front early and for good. On the whole, while Wilson was wild, he didn't give up much contact on the night.
The Escobar homer was his worst pitch of the night, 92 mph right down the pipe, and he didn't get away with it.
"Sometimes it's just the game of baseball where the one pitch you don't execute or the one big situation where you misexecute a pitch, that's just what happens sometimes," Wilson said.
• The Pirates had four hits on the night, three of which were from Rodolfo Castro, who also provided the only run of the game with a ninth inning homer.
He's hit .269 with nine home runs and 17 RBIs in his 35 games since being recalled from the minors August 9.
Kevin Newman is on the mend at the moment after cutting his finger in the Reds series, but I'm wondering just how much playing time he could get down the stretch if Castro is performing like this. He and Cruz need to be in the lineup for just about every one of those final 16 games.
• I had an interesting chat with Greg Allen about the stolen base attempt he had Friday. He beat the throw, but second baseman Luis Guillorme blocked the bag with his leg and he was out.
He gave the same response as Shelton Friday: It's legal, so he didn't take issue with it, but "as a base runner, there's ways to combat it."
"You can go feet first, and whatever happens, happens," he told me.
Hey, it's legal on both ends. Was just surprised to hear that come from Allen, one of the friendliest guys in the clubhouse.
• If you didn't catch the follow-up to #SeedGate, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Shelton addressed the sunflower seed video from Friday.
I didn't have "addressed the sunflower seed video" on my 2022 Pirates bingo card.
• Your daily transaction news: Dillon Peters has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Class AAA Indianapolis. He was designated for assignment on Thursday.
• With the loss, the Pirates fall to 55-91 on the season. They need to go at least .500 -- 8-8 -- in the final 10% of the season to avoid a second straight 100-loss season.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 15-day injured list: RHP David Bednar (back)
• 60-day injured list: RHP Yerry De Los Santos (lat), OF Canaan Njigba-Smith (wrist), RHP Colin Holderman (right shoulder), RHP Blake Cederlind (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Oneil Cruz, SS
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Rodolfo Castro, 2B
4. Ben Gamel, RF
5. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
6. Cal Mitchell, DH
7. Michael Chavis, 1B
8. Jack Suwinski, LF
9. Tyler Heineman, C
And for Buck Showalter's Mets:
1. Brandon Nimmo, CF
2. Francisco Lindor, SS
3. Jeff McNeil, RF
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. Tyler Naquin, RF
6. Mark Canha, LF
7. Daniel Vogelbach, DH
8. Eduardo Escobar, 3B
9. James McCann, C
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates will turn to Johan Oviedo (3-2, 3.34) to try to prevent the four-game sweep Sunday at 1:40 p.m. The world's greatest pitcher, Jacob deGrom (5-2, 2.01) will be his opponent. I'll be there for it.
THE CONTENT
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