Pittsburgh Pirates Vs New York Mets Live Streaming Online Radio Commentary TBS, WPIX, YES Network, Fox Sports Midwest, CH4, MASN 5/30. Coming off one of their best offensive games of the season, the New York Mets now hope to continue their home dominance over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Although the Pirates have never won at Citi Field, they likely won't be intimidated.
Pittsburgh is playing surprisingly well on the road and Charlie Morton, the scheduled starter for Monday's series opener, has been as sharp as just about any pitcher in baseball.
The Pirates (24-27) arrive in New York after Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Although Pittsburgh dropped the finale, it outscored the Cubs 14-2 in winning the first two at Wrigley Field to take its seventh road series this year -- the same number it had in each of the last two seasons.
The Pirates are 15-13 on the road after going 17-64 away from PNC Park in 2010.
"We talked about our road record (from) last year and we actually have gone out of our way to reconstruct some things on the road to just make some things different," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pirates' official website.
Hurdle would especially like to see some different results at Citi Field, where Pittsburgh has been outscored 49-18 in going 0-7.
In order to avoid another defeat in New York, the Pirates likely need to slow down Jose Reyes.
The three-time All-Star is batting .404 with two homers, eight RBIs and 15 runs in his last 13 games against Pittsburgh, with the Mets winning 12 times.
In Sunday's 9-5 victory over Philadelphia, Reyes had four hits -- including two triples -- to match a career high with his sixth straight multihit game. He is batting .519 during his run.
"Hopefully, they can continue to come in bunches," Reyes said.
The Mets (24-28) pounded out a season-high 17 hits Sunday and matched a season best for runs. New York, which snapped a three-game skid, plated more than three runs for just the third time in 12 contests.
"It was certainly a bust-out game for us offensively that we needed desperately," manager Terry Collins said. "I just saw a more relaxed atmosphere."
Jason Bay, who won the NL Rookie of the Year with Pittsburgh in 2004, singled twice Sunday for just his third multihit game since May 7. This will be the three-time All-Star's first game against his former team.
The Mets went 6-1 against Pittsburgh last season, but could figure to have some trouble against Morton (5-2, 2.61 ERA), who has yielded two or fewer runs in six of nine starts.
Last year, Morton was 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA, but now holds himself to a higher standard. The right-hander was unhappy after giving up two runs and seven hits in seven innings in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Atlanta.
"I look back and I think I pitched OK and I think that speaks to how far I've come," Morton said.
The defeat snapped Morton's career-best three-start winning streak, but he still has a 1.14 ERA in his last three outings.
Although Morton had little success last season, he pitched well in his lone start against the Mets, permitting two runs and five hits in five innings of a 6-2 loss Sept. 16.
New York counters with Dillon Gee (4-0, 3.83), who is coming off an uneven performance against the Cubs at rainy Wrigley on Wednesday.
The right-hander allowed four runs, three hits and two walks in the first inning before settling down to throw five scoreless innings and retire 16 of the last 18 batters he faced. The Mets won 7-4 in a game called because of rain in the top of the seventh.
Gee, who has shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen, is 4-0 with a 3.28 ERA in his six starts, with New York winning each time.
Although the Pirates have never won at Citi Field, they likely won't be intimidated.
7:10 PM ET, May 30, 2011
Citi Field, New York, NY
The Pirates (24-27) arrive in New York after Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Although Pittsburgh dropped the finale, it outscored the Cubs 14-2 in winning the first two at Wrigley Field to take its seventh road series this year -- the same number it had in each of the last two seasons.
The Pirates are 15-13 on the road after going 17-64 away from PNC Park in 2010.
"We talked about our road record (from) last year and we actually have gone out of our way to reconstruct some things on the road to just make some things different," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pirates' official website.
Hurdle would especially like to see some different results at Citi Field, where Pittsburgh has been outscored 49-18 in going 0-7.
In order to avoid another defeat in New York, the Pirates likely need to slow down Jose Reyes.
The three-time All-Star is batting .404 with two homers, eight RBIs and 15 runs in his last 13 games against Pittsburgh, with the Mets winning 12 times.
In Sunday's 9-5 victory over Philadelphia, Reyes had four hits -- including two triples -- to match a career high with his sixth straight multihit game. He is batting .519 during his run.
"Hopefully, they can continue to come in bunches," Reyes said.
The Mets (24-28) pounded out a season-high 17 hits Sunday and matched a season best for runs. New York, which snapped a three-game skid, plated more than three runs for just the third time in 12 contests.
"It was certainly a bust-out game for us offensively that we needed desperately," manager Terry Collins said. "I just saw a more relaxed atmosphere."
Jason Bay, who won the NL Rookie of the Year with Pittsburgh in 2004, singled twice Sunday for just his third multihit game since May 7. This will be the three-time All-Star's first game against his former team.
The Mets went 6-1 against Pittsburgh last season, but could figure to have some trouble against Morton (5-2, 2.61 ERA), who has yielded two or fewer runs in six of nine starts.
Last year, Morton was 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA, but now holds himself to a higher standard. The right-hander was unhappy after giving up two runs and seven hits in seven innings in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Atlanta.
"I look back and I think I pitched OK and I think that speaks to how far I've come," Morton said.
The defeat snapped Morton's career-best three-start winning streak, but he still has a 1.14 ERA in his last three outings.
Although Morton had little success last season, he pitched well in his lone start against the Mets, permitting two runs and five hits in five innings of a 6-2 loss Sept. 16.
New York counters with Dillon Gee (4-0, 3.83), who is coming off an uneven performance against the Cubs at rainy Wrigley on Wednesday.
The right-hander allowed four runs, three hits and two walks in the first inning before settling down to throw five scoreless innings and retire 16 of the last 18 batters he faced. The Mets won 7-4 in a game called because of rain in the top of the seventh.
Gee, who has shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen, is 4-0 with a 3.28 ERA in his six starts, with New York winning each time.
