Mets Strike Pirates Early and Late

PITTSBURGH — Moises Alou hit a two-run homer in New York's five-run first inning, and the Mets did all of their scoring in the first and ninth innings to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 10–8 last night.

David Wright hit a two-run double ahead of Alou's third homer in three games as the Mets roughed up Matt Morris for five hits while taking a 5-0 lead in the first. Jose Reyes singled and Luis Castillo walked ahead of Wright's double, and Carlos Delgado doubled before Alou hit Morris' first pitch into the left-field bleachers.

In his previous at-bat on Tuesday, Alou's two-run single in the eighth inning proved the difference in the Mets' 5-4 victory. The 41-year-old is mostly responsible for pulling the Mets out of a brief slide in which they lost three straight last week by going 7-for-13 with nine RBIs during the Mets' three-game winning streak.

Alou homered twice and drove in four runs Sunday against Florida and is 17-for-46 (.370) with six homers and 14 RBIs in is last 12 games.

The Pirates trailed 5-4 going into the ninth, but reliever Shawn Chacon's throwing error as he tried to get Lastings Milledge at third base on Castillo's single to the mound led to the Mets' second five-run inning of the game. After Milledge scored to make it 6-4, the next five Mets got hits. Carlos Beltran hit a two-run double off Damaso Marte and pinch-hitter Damion Easley followed with an RBI double ahead of Alou's run-scoring single.

Pittsburgh came back with four runs in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Aaron Sele as Jason Bay hit a two-run double to end an 0-for-13 slump. Billy Wagner got the final two outs for his 28th save in 30 opportunities, but only after allowing Jose Bautista's long fly ball out to center that nearly left the park and Jose Castillo's RBI single.