Mets score 2 runs off Aroldis Chapman in 9th to rally past Pirates

A game that was scoreless through seven innings suddenly got interesting when the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets turned to their closers with multiple All-Star appearances.

Instead of closing the door, they left it open.

When the Mets brought in Edwin Diaz with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth, the two-time All-Star closer followed a four-pitch walk by giving up the lead on a two-run single to Nick Gonzales.

Aroldis Chapman then had two on, two outs and two strikes against Jose Iglesias when the seven-time All-Star left-hander lost control in the top of the ninth. After a walk to load the bases, Chapman gave up a two-run single to Francisco Lindor as the Mets rallied for a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon before 23,147 at PNC Park.

“We were a pitch away from the game being over,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

Instead, the Pirates (42-47) have followed their biggest blowout win of the season — when they hit seven home runs, including two grand slams in a 14-2 victory Friday night — with a pair of losses as the teams head into Monday’s finale of the four-game series.

With Bailey Falter (left triceps) becoming the Pirates’ fourth starting pitcher to go on the injured list, righty Luis Ortiz shined in his latest opportunity to join the rotation. Ortiz tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits without a walk and striking out five Mets while throwing a season-high 86 pitches.

Mets lefty Sean Manaea matched Ortiz’s six shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks with six strikeouts on 89 pitches. Manaea stranded Ke’Bryan Hayes at third in the second inning and retired the side in order in the third and sixth.

Ortiz got out of a jam in the sixth. Lindor fouled off six consecutive pitches in an 11-pitch at-bat before drilling a low slider off the Clemente Wall for a one-out double, then advanced to third on Brandon Nimmo’s groundout to first. But Ortiz got Martinez to ground out to third.

The Pirates escaped again in the seventh, when Carmen Mlodzinski replaced Ortiz and gave up a one-out double to Francisco Alvarez but got DJ Stewart to fly out to center and Vientos to ground out to third.

The Mets turned to Reed Garrett in the seventh, and Hayes rallied from an 0-2 count to work a 10-pitch at-bat that culminated with a leadoff single to right. Shelton turned to a pair of pinch hitters, only for Oneil Cruz to go down swinging at a full-count splitter and Rowdy Tellez to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Mets finally broke the scoreless tie in the eighth. Jose Iglesias hit a flare to center for a leadoff single against Colin Holderman but was caught stealing second by catcher Joey Bart — the third runner he’s thrown out in two games — as shortstop Cruz applied the tag while Iglesias’ leg was off the ground. Lindor drew a four-pitch walk, then scored on Nimmo’s double off the left-field fence for a 1-0 lead.

“We can’t have a four-pitch walk with balls that are missed that are not strikes,” Shelton said. “We have to put the ball on the plate.”

But the Pirates answered with two runs in the bottom half. Jack Suwinski led off with a pinch-hit single, but Michael A. Taylor fouled off three consecutive bunts to strike out.

“We need to get that down,” Shelton said. “But we bounced back. We just have to finish the game.”

Andrew McCutchen lined a single to center, but with a pair of runners on, Bryan Reynolds chased a full-count slider for another strikeout. When Shelton sent lefty-hitting Joshua Palacios to pinch-hit for Connor Joe, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Diaz — only for him to load the bases by throwing four consecutive pitches for balls.

“Knowing he was probably going to challenge me with something, bases loaded, especially after throwing four straight balls,” Gonzales said, “I was ready.”

Gonzales followed by hitting Diaz’s first pitch for a sharp grounder to left to score Suwinski and McCutchen and give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

The Pirates had to hold their breath in the ninth as the Mets worked three consecutive full counts against Chapman. Alvarez drew a leadoff walk, and Harrison Bader followed with a single to center before Chapman struck out Vientos looking at a slider. Chapman then got Luis Torrens looking at three straight called strikes, including a 101.1 mph fastball.

But a wild pitch allowed pinch runner Ben Gamel to advance to third, Iglesias drew a full-count walk to load the bases and Lindor hit a bloop to left to drive in Gamel and Bader for a 3-2 Mets lead.

The Pirates, who went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, stranded six. Diaz finished off the side in order in the ninth to earn the win.

“We have to execute with runners in scoring position. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Shelton said. “We’ve struggled with that a little bit over the last few months.”