Mets rally after Paul Skenes exits to top Pirates on Pete Alonso's sac fly in ninth
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free
The Pirates are among MLB's worst teams, but with their great equalizer on the mound for six innings Monday night they stood a chance against the Mets.
Then Paul Skenes departed.
Advertisement
And the Mets, as has been their modus operandi this season, rallied in the late innings against an underwhelming bullpen.
The Mets scored twice in the seventh and survived a scare in the ninth before winning 4-3 on Pete Alonso's walkoff sacrifice fly against David Bednar.
Francisco Lindor began the winning rally by reaching on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's fielding error before Juan Soto singled him to third. Alonso's fly to deep right ended it.
6 Mets second base Luisangel Acuña (2) scores at the plate off a Pete Alonso (20) go-ahead single during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, May 12, 2025.
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Advertisement
6 Mets won with a walk-off sac fly by first baseman Pete Alonso (20) during the ninth inning on Monday, May 12, 2025
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Lindor's fielding error had helped the Pirates tie it 3-3 in the ninth after Huascar Brazobán allowed a leadoff single. Ke'Bryan Hayes' shot off Luisangel Acuña's glove brought in the run before Brazobán got Bryan Reynolds to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Skenes, last season's NL Rookie of the Year, allowed one run over six innings and departed at 92 pitches, after the Pirates went ahead 2-1.
Advertisement
But the Mets tied it against lefty Caleb Ferguson before Acuña alertly raced home from second on Alonso's shot off the third baseman Hayes' glove. Acuña narrowly averted Joey Bart's tag at the plate, reaching in with his hand, to give the Mets their margin of victory.
Bart led off the eighth against Dedniel Nunez and hit a shot to left field that Nimmo grabbed above the fence to preserve the lead.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS
David Peterson nearly matched Skenes' sharp performance by allowing two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over six-plus innings.
Advertisement
6 Mets won with a walk-off sac fly by first baseman Pete Alonso (20) during the ninth inning on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Robert Sabo for NY Post
6 Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) reacts to getting out of the fifth inning with men on against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, May 12, 2025
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Peterson survived two walks in the first inning before allowing a homer to Kiner-Falefa leading off the second. Kiner-Falefa, before the game, received a charcoal portrait of his cousin Ralph Kiner from the legendary Mets broadcaster's son Scott.
It was Kiner-Falefa's first time meeting a member of Kiner's immediate family.
Jeff McNeil stroked an RBI double in the fourth that tied it 1-1.
Nimmo doubled leading off the inning before McNeil delivered against Skenes with one out. But Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty were retired in succession to end the threat.
6 Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches in the first inning against the Mets on Monday, May 12, 2025 at Citi Field
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Hayes singled with two outs in the fifth, but Peterson escaped by striking out Reynolds. Peterson, following Kiner-Falefa's homer, retired 10 straight batters before Jared Triolo doubled in the fifth.
Advertisement
Andrew McCutchen and Kiner-Falefa each singled in the sixth, but Peterson retired Alexander Canario to keep it at 1-1.
The Mets wasted an opportunity in the sixth, as Alvarez hit into an inning-ending double play after Mark Vientos doubled and McNeil walked.
6 Mets won with a walk-off sac fly by first baseman Pete Alonso (20) during the ninth inning on Monday, May 12, 2025
Robert Sabo for NY Post
Peterson was removed after walking Triolo to start the seventh.
Advertisement
José Buttó was charged for a disengagement violation that moved Triolo to third and after Hayes walked, Reynolds' RBI fielder's choice gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
Ferguson drilled Tyrone Taylor leading off the bottom of the inning. Taylor stole second and reached third on Acuña's infield single. Soto's ground out tied it 2-2.
Alonso's single off Hayes' glove against Colin Holderman gave Acuña the runway he needed to score the go-ahead run.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pete Alonso and his dad get candid with The Post about Mets, overcoming childhood bullying ahead of Father's Day
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and his father Peter take some hacks with Post columnist Steve Serby in a Father's Day Q&A. Q: Describe your father, Peter. Pete: My dad, No. 1, beyond supportive. He's patient. He's understanding. I think the biggest thing about my dad, he's always just wanted me to succeed no matter what I chose to do in life. He kind of taught me the basics where it's like no matter what you do, no matter what your passion is — whether it be like a hobby, a profession, no matter what you choose to endeavor — you have to do it 100 percent. At all times. Whenever you give something attention, you give it 100 percent of your attention. There's no half-assing anything. If you commit to something, you commit and you see it through. And for me, I think that's a powerful thing. Q: Describe your son. Peter: I'd say a gentle giant with a huge heart. Everything that he does, he always puts people around him first. Q: How are you like your father? Pete: There's a lot of life lessons that he's kind of taught me. I think as a professional, I give all I can give, but then as soon as I leave this door I'm just Pete. I'm a son, a brother, a friend, a husband, soon-to-be father. So for me, it's like as soon as work is done, it's like I am no longer the baseball player, I'm Pete the family man. My dad did an unbelievable job kind of separating … as soon as he walked in the door he's all about me and my brother and my mom. Whether he came from work, it's like, 'All right, I'm coach Pete now,' whether he's coaching me or my brother, or taking us to practice. 'Now I'm not Dad anymore, I'm the tutor guy, I'm the homework guy.' … This is one of the best stories ever. So my dad's taking me to baseball practice — it's probably like a 25-minute drive. And my dad is like, 'Hey, you gotta do homework, I'll help you with your math homework in the car, you just have to do it.' And I'm doing my homework, I broke my pencil, we didn't have a pencil in the car. He's like, 'Listen, your mom is going to absolutely kill me (laugh) if you don't have this homework done. I don't care how easy or hard this is, but all the questions need to be done.' Q: How were you going to do it without a pencil? Pete: So what he did was, he was biting down the wood. … He was basically sharpening the pencil with his teeth (smile). He made it work. I know that's kind of like a stupid, silly little moment, but he just kind of was like gently tearing little wood chips off one by one just to get to that piece of lead so I could finish the homework. And my mom would have killed both me and my dad (laugh) if I didn't have that homework done. Q: Dad, what is your recollection of the pencil story? Peter: You had to do your homework first before you go to the field and do those kind of things. I probably bit the pencil in half so it would write so he could finish his homework. Q: How old were you? Pete: I think I was 12 or 13, something like that. Q: What did your dad do? Pete: He worked in professional staffing. Q: Was there one emotional heart-to-heart you recall? Pete: I'm really fortunate because my dad kind of wears his heart on his sleeve. I kind of know exactly where he stands at all times. He's not afraid to, like, speak plainly or speak exactly what comes to mind. So if something's kind of weighing on him, he's not afraid to just say it how it is and just tell me. I think the biggest thing is, he's just always there, he's always like, 'How can I help? How can I make your life easier? What can I do?' Having that unrelenting support is just truly special. He takes pride in not just, like, physically being available for things — 24/7 he's always emotionally available. Q: How often does he come up to New York? Pete: He'll actually be up here this weekend. During the season, my parents always come once a month or so, whether it's here or on the road. Q: When you were a kid, you internalized things and you were bullied and taunted. Did your dad guide you through that? Peter: I think the biggest thing that he said is, it's about just being the bigger person, not stooping to their level. Obviously, there are certain ways to handle certain situations, and regardless, despite how other people are, you have to hold yourself to a standard. If you don't have character, you really have no leg to stand on. I think for me, building character and staying disciplined in certain things, that spoke volumes for sure. Q: What did you tell Pete when he was bullied and taunted as a boy? Peter: He was taunted about just being bigger than the other kids. … Our message to him was how special he is, and that people are just jealous of the gift that he has, and to keep your chin up and just keep doing the best you can. A lot of things are going to change, and great things will happen to you. Q: What did it mean to him the day you made your major league debut? Pete: I don't take this granted. He's like, 'Listen, proud of not just what you do on the field but how you go about your business, how you've kind of went along this journey and kind of like took on obstacles and never really backed down from anything.' He was just very prideful. Very, very prideful. Q: What was it like emotionally for you Peter, when Pete made his MLB debut in D.C.? Peter: Honestly, my stomach was in knots. I knew he had it in him. He was fine. I was a wreck. I'm normally the cool, calm guy when it comes to baseball and stuff, but I was not. Q: Do you remember his reaction when you broke Aaron Judge's rookie home run record? Pete: He was excited, but I think one of the really cool things was actually in 2021 where I think I was the second-fastest player to 100 homers by a certain amount of games, and then me and him are in the lobby after the game in Miami just kind of talking about it. Even now today, it's still crazy to wrap my mind around … everything. I mean, yeah it's happening, I'm competing and it's my reality, but it's still kind of crazy, and I think for both of us it's just really special. Q: Your car accident, how frightening was it for you and for him when he learned about it? Pete: Just hearing about it, seeing the pictures, he was shaken up, but if there's anybody that took it hardest I think it was my wife because she kind of saw it. We were driving together at spring training, she watched a car pretty much right in front of me T-bone me, and then me flip and do all this stuff. Peter: It looked like an Indy car wreck or something, it was just car parts all over the place. He was standing up very casually talking to an officer explaining what happened and whatnot. … Just a huge relief. Q: Your parents were in Cleveland for your Home Run Derby win in 2019. Pete: Honestly, that whole experience, rookie year, first full season in the big leagues … I think it was just magic … for everybody. Peter: That was fun. That was like a homecoming. We have several friends and relatives in Ohio. I was just happy he was doing it so he could enjoy his 8-year-old self. After his first five or six swings when he started to lock in, I was like, 'Uh-oh!' And then he just went on a roll. Q: In the offseason when you might have been stressing out about not returning to the Mets, did he have any advice for you? Pete: The biggest stressor of the offseason was kind of just being displaced from my wife and our home, and I was just trying to get everything back together from the flood, from the hurricane. After Hurricane Helene, my wife and I were displaced. And we had to pretty much redo our home. It'll be pretty much two years without being in our house. Q: What were your emotions, Peter, when he signed back with the Mets? Peter: We [wife Michelle] were super-excited. The Mets are home, the Mets gave him his opportunity when he was drafted out of the University of Florida. I was born in Queens, his grandfather lived in Queens, so New York and the Mets are home. Also to see a winning culture emerging within the Mets team and organization was very fulfilling. We felt that Peter has been a big part of moving the Mets culture, so it was like job's not finished and you get to go back and continue your calling. Q: How happy was he that you signed back with the Mets? Pete: He just wanted what's best for me. He was just super supportive of the whole process, and he was very confident that the right thing would happen at the right time. Q: What do you recall about him on your wedding day? Pete: He was really emotional, but obviously he was so stoked. That's a super proud moment I feel like as a father to watch your kid stand up there. That's a major life accomplishment. He was really beaming. It was really nice. Q: What were your emotions on his wedding day, Dad? Peter: We were just filled with joy. We're so blessed. She is such a jewel and a doll. If I had a daughter I'd want a daughter like her. She's awesome. Q: How supportive has your wife, Haley, been, and what kind of a difference has it made for you as a baseball player? Pete: I'm really fortunate because my dad loves spending time with her, and to have that relationship I think is key for, like, a whole family unit. My wife really enjoys spending time with my dad likewise, and I think having that great relationship is awesome. I feel very, very blessed. Q: When is she due? Pete: She's 24 weeks now. Q: Boy or girl? Pete: It's going to be a boy. Q: A name yet? Pete: No name yet. Q: Next Father's Day you'll be a father. Pete: I'm really excited. It's a blessing to kind of create life, and it's an honor to be a parent, it's a privilege. My wife and I were at that stage in life where it's like being able to want to start a family and to have that opportunity, we're really blessed. It's been a great pregnancy so far. We're just really excited thinking about, like, kids, and what our Thanksgivings and Christmases and stuff are going to be like. Q: How did you celebrate Father's Day growing up? Pete: Whether it's spending time just hanging out at the pool, my dad loves to cook, loves to barbecue, stuff like that. My dad also loves being on the water, being on the boat, stuff like that. My dad is big on time. No matter what quality time we had, that's what he wanted to do, just spend time. Q: Any Father's Day gift for your father? Pete: I'll have something for him. It was just his birthday not too long ago, so he gets the double dip. Q: What are you most proud of having him as your father? Pete: I just feel really lucky, and I'm proud that he is my dad because he walks the walk in the lessons that he preaches to my brother and I. He lived by those, and he never really deviated. He's super consistent in his ideologies and advice. He wouldn't just say something because it was the right thing and then go do something else. He treated my mom and my brother and I with respect and with love. He just held himself to a very high standard, and he's like, 'OK, if I'm the man of the house, I'm going to provide and be there emotionally.' Anytime my brother and I want to go do something, he's like, 'Absolutely, we're going to do it.' He would always be there spending time or coaching me and my brother: 'You want to go swimming. let's go swimming.' He'd be willing to go to the ends of the earth for my mom, my brother and I, and I can't appreciate and thank him enough for that. Q: Is he as proud of you as a man as he is proud of you as a baseball player? Pete: Yeah, he's like, 'You could be pumping gas, but as long as you're a loving and caring individual who treats people the right way and lives the right way, then I'd be super proud.' Q: Sum up why you are so proud of your son. Peter: I'm proud of the person he is … his generosity … he makes things better around him than he left them … his positive energy … and his resilience. Those are the character traits that shine through of the son that we brought up, and it is hugely fulfilling and we feel super-blessed, and we keep pinching ourselves to this day. Q: Describe his go-ahead home run in the ninth inning off Devin Williams in the deciding game of last year's wild-card round. Peter: That was an outer-body experience. We sensed that something was going to happen. With the look in his eye, he just seemed calm and up for the moment. We were in our living room jumping up and down. Q: You're zeroing in on the Mets' all-time home run record, with 243. Darryl Strawberry has 262. Pete: It's great, but for me, it's a personal record — I just want to win. I just want to win. And however I can contribute, I want to contribute. That's what it's all about it. Q: Have you ever felt more dangerous at the plate? Pete: Yeah, family backyard Wiffle Ball games (smile), that's probably the most dangerous I feel. Q: When your mother was throwing to you? Pete: (Smile) Yeah, exactly. This is by far the most consistent I've felt in my career pretty much the entire year. Q: Describe that feeling when you know you're dangerous. Pete: I just feel consistent, I feel consistent in my mechanics. I feel like I'm myself pitch to pitch. And that's all I want to be. I just want to be myself. I want to have the best version of myself every swing, every take, every time the pitcher releases the ball. Q: I've noticed you seated at a table writing notes after games. Pete: That's my book of secrets. Q: How long have you done that? Pete: Every year has its own book of secrets. I've been writing notes pretty much since college. For me, I think writing things down [is] powerful. Q: People are talking about you having an MVP season. Pete: It's nice, I appreciate it. It's still really early, and ultimately I just want to contribute, help the team win. I think last year getting a true taste of what postseason baseball is like … in 2022, it was just three games [losing to Padres in wild card round], but this year it's like I'm so motivated to get back to the postseason because that is the ultimate form of baseball. It's an addictive type of baseball, and I want to do everything in my power to help get the team back there again and then also go further than what we did and hold up the trophy at the end of the year. I want nothing more than to be in that environment again and have that chance to play for a championship. Winning isn't guaranteed, that's for sure, but to have that honor and privilege to roll the dice again in October … playoff baseball's the ultimate. I just want to do whatever I can to help the team get there and succeed when we're there. Q:. What do you like best about this team? Pete: I think that the way that we're structured is obviously we grew in talent from last year, but I think that the coolest part is we have so similar faces, so it's not a completely different team. We have so many of the same faces where it's like, hey, this is almost the same group as last year, and we have that shared bond, shared experience together. Not only is it good for camaraderie and stuff like that, but it's great for teamwork, it's great for knowing personnel and also because all of us had the same experience last year going to the postseason and going on that run, we're not just motivated to get there again, we want to go further, and everyone has that extra edge. I don't think I got the bug — everybody does. Everyone's got that yearning and that want every single day to get back there. I know it's 3 ¹/₂ months away, but I blinked and it's already halfway through June. Q: Why is it so much fun playing in New York? Pete: People have been itching to come out to games, and it's been awesome. Everybody's rowdy, everybody's engaged. It's really like having a 10th Man out there. It's honestly great. And you can kind of feel it whenever the crowd is more and more engaged, more times things start to happen in our favor, it's awesome. Q: What is it like sharing the city with the Yankees with both teams doing so well? Pete: I think it's great for the city. The more teams that do well in New York, the more that the city's alive and buzzing and hopping. It's fantastic. Q: Would you want to retire as a Met? Pete: That could be awesome. It's really rare for a guy to spend his whole career with one team — I mean, I've thought about it, for sure. But the business side of things has to work out for that. I love playing here. It's awesome. I hope that the business side works out to be that way. Q: Would you like to see Pete retire as a Met? Peter: I want to see [him] succeed wherever he's at, so it would be great if he retires as a Met. And, if he doesn't, I wouldn't want to be in the other dugout. Q: I don't think Mets fans would be happy if Pete was to leave. Pete: I hope that the business side works out to where I don't have to do that (smile).
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Tylor Megill struggles in Mets' loss to Rays as rotation questions continue to emerge
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free The Mets' season-long strength suddenly does not seem as strong. For two and a half months, through fluctuating results from a hot-and-cold offense, the Mets have been able to rely upon a group of starters that has appeared never-ending. It has not just been that the rotation has been solid, but deep, absorbing Sean Manaea- and Frankie Montas-sized blows and bouncing right back up off the mat. But over a span of three days, the Mets 1) learned Kodai Senga is gone for likely at least a month with a hamstring strain suffered Thursday; 2) have decided a potential fill-in, Montas, is not guaranteed a rotation spot in large part because of his ineffectiveness through five rehab starts, highlighted by a Friday implosion and 3) have reason to worry about Tylor Megill. Because on Saturday, the struggles of the No. 5 starter continued in an 8-4 loss to the Rays in front of 41,662 rain-soaked fans at Citi Field, where the Mets dropped a series — snapping a streak of six series they either won or tied — before Sunday's finale. The Mets (45-26) do not need brilliance from Megill, but they need more than he provided while pitching 3 ²/₃ innings and allowing six runs (three earned), lowlighted by a fourth inning that included the big righty hearing boos as he was pulled from the start. In that inning, the Rays sent 11 batters to the plate — 10 against Megill — and a Mets lead evaporated instantly. 4 Tylor Megill looks down on the ground after giving up a solo home run to a celebrating Junior Caminero (background) during the fourth inning of the Mets' 8-4 loss to the Rays on June 14, 2025. Robert Sabo for New York Post The first batter, Junior Caminero, destroyed a 2-1 sinker 409 feet to left, deep into the first deck to tie the game. After two more Rays reached — a plunking and a single to put runners on the corners — the frame turned on a rare safety squeeze from Taylor Walls, who dragged a bunt toward first base. Megill ignored a potential play at home and tried to go to first but dropped the ball as he cocked it behind him. 4 Tylor Megill wears a dejected expression during the Rays' five-run fourth inning during the Mets' loss. Jason Szenes for New York Post CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS Megill struck out Josh Lowe which, because of his own error, was crucially only the second out of the inning. Given life, the Rays attempted to put down the Mets with a pair of RBI singles, a seven-pitch walk to Jonathan Aranda to reload the bases, and a wild pitch that put the Mets in a 6-2 hole. After Megill lost Caminero, the inning's leadoff hitter, to a seven-pitch walk, Carlos Mendoza took the ball from him, and boos followed a head-down Megill every step to the dugout. It is possible that Megill did not bounce back well from his most recent start at Coors Field — where the altitude affected Friday's starter, Clay Holmes, and prompted a shorter start — but the troubling trend lines extend further than last week. 4 Tampa Bay's Brandon Lowe rips an RBI single during the Mets' loss to the Rays. Brad Penner-Imagn Images Six starts into his season, Megill looked like a breakout candidate and owned a 1.74 ERA. In eight starts since the beginning of May, he has pitched to a 5.79 ERA that has elevated his season mark to 3.95. It is possible Montas replaces Megill eventually, but the Mets are not sure what to do with the offseason addition who has been knocked around during a rehab assignment and will require a sixth minor league start. 4 Brett Baty belts a solo homer during the third inning of the Mets' loss to the Rays. Robert Sabo for New York Post The loss of Senga has meant Paul Blackburn, who was crushed in relief Friday, is at least temporarily back into the starting group. For a group that has rolled really from Day One, a speed bump has appeared. Buried in the fourth inning, the Mets did not have enough offense to overcome the hole. They cut the lead to four runs and put runners on the corners in both the seventh and eighth innings, but a Brandon Nimmo ground out and Brett Baty ground out, respectively, helped the Rays navigate out of danger. Wasted was the hardest struck ball by a Mets player all season — a laser, 115.6 mph home run to right field by Brett Baty that also was the hardest hit ball of Baty's major league career — along with the second home run of Ronny Mauricio's season and three hits (including two RBI singles) from Nimmo. Also wasted was a tour de force from Luis Torrens' arm, which threw out Josh Lowe at second base and Walls in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Torrens chased a wild pitch to the backstop and threw a strike to José Buttó, who tagged out Yandy Díaz trying to score from third.
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Cubs ride Matthew Boyd's strong start — and another pickoff — and Dansby Swanson's HR to a 2-1 win
Matthew Boyd gave up eight hits in six innings in his previous start and on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen tagged him for a first-inning home run. Boyd had enough of that. The Chicago Cubs lefty retired the next 14 in a row. The 15th hitter, Tommy Pham, walked to lead off the sixth, and Boyd promptly picked him off first. The Cubs went on to a 2-1 win in front of a Wrigley Field crowd of 39,554. 'You just keep pitching,' Boyd said of his approach after the home run. 'Whether it's a home run or a walk or even a strikeout or something good. 'You just go out and keep doing what you expect of yourself when the ball is in your hand. McCutchen is a real good hitter. I made a mistake and he was ready for it.' Added Cubs manager Craig Counsell: 'The second guy in the game hits a home run and then he pitched really, really well. Matt continues to do an excellent job.' Dansby Swanson, who was hitting .193 against left-handed pitchers, hit a two-out solo home run against Pirates southpaw reliever Ryan Borucki to give the National League Central-leading Cubs (43-28) what turned out to be the winning run. Daniel Palencia notched his sixth save, and the bullpen lowered its ERA to 0.90 in the last 28 games. Boyd (6-3, 2.79 ERA) came up with his third pickoff in as many games and has six for the season. Rick Sutcliffe (1985) and Bill Hands (1970) are the only other pitchers in Cubs history to pick off runners in three straight games. Boyd, who faced just 19 batters in six innings, said he developed the move at age 9 when Bellevue College coach Mark Yoshino taught it to him at a camp, and he hasn't changed it much since. 'Mark joked that if you don't like someone, you hit him and then pick him off,' Boyd said. 'I'm not going to try that at the big-league level. 'But it (the pickoff) is something I've always had in my career ever since I was little.' Counsell appreciates the pickoffs as well as Boyd dominating after the McCutchen home run. 'His last outing was against a team that decided to be aggressive,' Counsell said of the Philadelphia Phillies. 'They made a decision on trying to be aggressive because in a previous start or two, he threw a lot of first-pitch strikes. 'That's just adjusting as a starter from game to game, not falling into a pattern. … We're always keeping an eye on it.' The Pirates (29-43) have played the Cubs tight in this four-game series as the Cubs won 3-2 Thursday and lost 2-1 Friday in 10 innings. Ian Happ's sacrifice fly in the third inning brought home Nico Hoerner to tie Saturday's tight game. Swanson was happy he could be a difference-maker in the game after belting his 13th home run of the season. 'My first couple of at-bats I was missing some good pitches, which can be frustrating in its own right,' Swanson said. 'It was a big swing in a big situation.' It was the second day in a row a young Pirates starter was able to confound the vaunted Cubs offense. Paul Skenes, 23, blanked the Cubs on four hits with five strikeouts in five innings Friday. On Saturday, Mike Burrows, 25, gave up one run on five hits with eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in his first appearance against the Cubs. The Cubs have scored just eight runs in their last four games and hope to snap out of that Sunday when they face Mitch Keller, who comes in with a 1-9 record and a 4.15 ERA. But as long as they are playing close, low-scoring games, they want to come out on top. 'That's part of the schedule,' Counsell said. 'You expect to play close games. You are not going to play 8-3 games every day. The bullpen, the defense, the baserunning, you count on those things. You have different clubs in your bag, so to speak.' Reliever Drew Pomeranz pitched a scoreless eight but felt back tightness, and the Cubs will monitor him. Left-hander Shota Imanaga threw four innings in an Arizona Complex League game and gave up three hits and struck out four in his second appearance since going on the injured list May 5 with a left hamstring strain. The Cubs will see how he responds to Saturday's outing before drawing up a game plan for his next rehab appearance. 'He has to get his arm in game shape,' Counsell said. 'He needs mound time. He needs conditions of the game. He needs to ramp up for now and health-wise for the future. 'The amount of down time and out-of-game competition — you have to follow certain steps because he missed too much time and game action.' Reliever Porter Hodge threw 14 pitches in a scoreless inning in a rehab assignment for Iowa on Friday, and Cubs officials said he felt good. Counsell said Hodge, on the injured list since May 18 with a left oblique strain, is in line for another appearance Tuesday.
