New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score on Jul 18, 2021

Michael Conforto's two-run home run in the ninth inning gave the visiting New York Mets a comeback 7-6 win Sunday as they avoided being swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Trailing 6-5 after the Pirates scored six in a wild first, Dominic Smith hit a leadoff single against Richard Rodriguez (4-2). Conforto followed with his fourth homer, to center, to make it 7-6.

Travis Blankenhorn added a three-run homer and Smith an RBI single for the Mets.

New York starter Taijuan Walker gave up six runs, five earned, on four hits with four walks and no strikeouts over one-third of an inning.

Jeurys Familia (5-1) pitched two scoreless innings. Trevor May pitched the bottom of the ninth for his second save.

John Nogowski hit a two-run double, and Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman each had an RBI single for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh starter JT Brubaker pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.

Walker got Adam Frazier to ground out to start the bottom of the first, the only out he got. Wilmer Difo doubled and scored on Reynolds' single for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead. Ben Gamel walked ahead of Nogowski's two-run double to make it 3-0.

After Gregory Polanco and Michael Perez walked, Kevin Newman chopped a dribbler just down the chalk toward third. It was ruled fair, but Walker, believing it was foul, shoved the ball toward the backstop. That allowed three runs to score.

Mets manager Luis Rojas, incensed, bumped home plate umpire Jeremy Riggs while arguing. Rojas had to be restrained and was ejected.

New York got one back in the third when Brandon Nimmo walked, went to third on Jeff McNeil's single and scored on Smith's base hit.

In the fourth, Jonathan Villar and Tomas Nido singled. Blankenhorn's pinch-hit homer to right-center, his first, pulled New York to within 6-4.

McNeil walked with one out in the sixth. An out later, Smith doubled to right, where Polanco was charged with an error on a throw in to second baseman Frazier, allowing McNeil to score to make it 6-5.

--Field Level Media