Mets 8 – 
Pirates 1
Win: Jacob deGrom (4-1)
Loss: Chad Kuhl (1-5)
Neil Walker shines in blowout win
Neil Walker at age 31 with a cranky back and making $17 million would seem like great value for the Pirates these days when you compare him to what the Pirates are getting again this season from Andrew McCutchen making $14 million per season.
The Pittsburgh kid homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the New York Mets (20-26) to an 8-1 win over the Pirates (22-27) on Friday night.
“We didn’t get the spots we wanted to get on him,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Neil Walker’s big night as the former Pirate was 3-for-5.
Mets starter Jacob deGrom was ‘electric’ for most of the night and he still pitched into the ninth inning, despite throwing 21 pitches in the first inning.
deGrom allowed six hits and one run over 8 1/3 innings. He struck out 10 and walked just one.
“This guy got electric stuff,” Hurdle said of deGrom. “As good as game we’ve had pitched against us.”
The Pirates managed just six hits in the loss, walked once and had one-extra base hit, a Gregory Polanco home run off deGrom in the fourth inning.
Kuhl can’t make it past 5th inning
When your starting pitcher can’t make it past the 5th inning, it’s not likely going to be your night.
Chad Kuhl went 4 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. He struck out three and walked two. Hurdle expressed frustration afterwards with just two groundouts.
“A lot of pitches were elevated,” Hurdle said. “Off-speed was never a component to use.”
Walker’s third inning 2-run homer off Kuhl was an elevated fastball, then in the fifth homered again off Kuhl on a 3-2 count.
“Just felt like there was no life to the ball tonight,” Kuhl said of his performance.
Kuhl falls to 1-5 on the season with a 6.29 ERA.
PIRATES GAME LEADERS
*Gregory Polanco | 2-4, HR, RBI, R
*Josh Harrison | 2-4, SB
*Daniel Hudson | 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 19-16
