Pirates Finish Sweep of Mets; NL East Clinching Must Wait Another Day
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PITTSBURGH — The Mets failed for the third straight day to clinch the NL East title at PNC Park when the Pittsburgh Pirates finished off an unlikely sweep yesterday with a 3–0 win behind Zach Duke.
New York was denied its first division title since 1988 later in the day when second-place Philadelphia beat Houston 6–4. The Mets can clinch at home Monday night with a win over Florida or a loss by the Phillies.
The Mets came to Pittsburgh with a magic number of one and the best record in the majors. Even with a sizable contingent of New York fans in the stands, the young Pirates became the first NL team to sweep the Mets this season.
Showing their spirit, the Pirates — with the next-to-worst record in the league — celebrated with hearty handshakes on the field. Pittsburgh completed its first three-game sweep at home against New York since 1998.
Duke (10–13) pitched shutout ball for eight innings, Freddy Sanchez had two hits and two RBIs and Chris Duffy scored twice for the Pirates.
Duke allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out six. He has allowed more than three earned runs in a game only once in his last eight starts, lowering his ERA from 5.35 to 4.49. Salomon Torres pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
Endy Chavez had three hits and David Wright and Lastings Milledge each had two. The Mets missed a chance to clinch the division on the same date they did in 1986 — the last season in which the Mets won the World Series.
New York lost to a left-handed starter for the third consecutive game, and for the 13th time in its past 18 such matchups. The Mets stranded nine runners, but never advanced any of them past second base.
Pittsburgh pounced on John Maine (5–5). Duffy led off the first with a single that extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games and Jack Wilson followed with a double.
Sanchez hit a weak chopper to third base that Wright fielded, but his throw home was off-target and Duffy scored. Sanchez, who entered the game a point behind NL batting leader Miguel Cabrera, was credited with an RBI single.
