Pirates' patience rewarded in wild seventh

NEW YORK -- Through six innings Tuesday night at Citi Field, it would have been understandable if the Pirates’ hitters were experiencing déjà vu. They had scored only one run, but not for lack of effort or opportunity. The bottom of the box score read like a bad dream: 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 10 runners left on base -- a continuation of the trends from the previous night’s loss.

But, famously, games do not often end after six frames.

The Pirates used a six-run seventh inning to propel themselves to a bounceback 7-4 win over the Mets. But it was not an old-fashioned six-run outburst. Patience became a true virtue for Pittsburgh, which saw 214 pitches from Mets pitchers in the game.

With the bases loaded and one out, the Bucs scored three runs within three batters without taking the bats off their shoulders: a four-pitch walk to Jack Suwinski, a hit-by-pitch on Jared Triolo and a passed ball that scored Liover Peguero with Jason Delay batting.

As the saying goes: They don’t ask how, they ask how many.

“I think one of the things, when you leave guys on base like that, you work through pitchers,” manager Derek Shelton said. “And we did a good job of that. We missed opportunities early, but then you know we did a nice job of staying patient, especially with the young guys. And we were able to capitalize. We played the whole game, which sometimes you have to do.”

The third inning presented an early chance for the Pirates to change their luck, as they loaded the bases with one out. However, two straight strikeouts at the hands of Mets lefty David Peterson ended the threat. So when the seventh inning rolled around in a 1-1 game, and a congruent situation appeared, Shelton and hitting coach Andy Haines preached an emphasis on staying within yourself at the plate.

“The biggest thing is that you have to stay mentally in the game,” Shelton said. “And we did that. Andy did a nice job with our hitters, just continuing to be positive because you have some innings where you’re frustrated when you don’t score runs.”

The floodgates opened, rewarding the Pirates for their patience and competitive plate appearances. Delay laced a two-run double into right-center field, then Bryan Reynolds legged out an RBI triple after a line drive snuck past a diving Tim Locastro in center. Reynolds’ hustle punctuated the frame, one that Pittsburgh wouldn’t look back from.

“Yeah, it felt really good,” Delay said. “Going into it, I was seeing a pitch. Obviously, that pitcher was having trouble with command right there. The first one got away, but after that, it was just get him up and find something over the plate that I could hit in the air -- really just trying to get that run in. Situational hitting approach, and luckily, it found a gap.”

Prior to the breakout inning, the Pirates’ only run came on the fifth homer of the year by Peguero, his second in three games. Peguero, the No. 8 prospect for Pittsburgh, has notched hits in six of his past eight games and holds a 1.007 OPS over that stretch.

Peguero’s recent surge as part of the youth movement in Pittsburgh, also highlighted by a .400 OBP in his past eight games, is certainly welcomed by Shelton as the Pirates hit the home stretch.

“We knew organizationally that he had the ability to impact the ball -- he’s only 22,” Shelton said. “So we’re seeing him start to grow into it. As much as that, the patience in the at-bats. He had the walk [Sunday] when Triolo hit the homer, and a big walk again today in a crucial spot. … You have to swing at good pitches, or have the ability to see the baseball. And he’s doing it right now.”

After Bailey Falter allowed a leadoff homer to Brandon Nimmo, he settled in to deliver his best outing in a Pirates uniform, pitching 5 1/3 innings while allowing just one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts. After Falter allowed a single to Francisco Lindor with one out in the sixth, Colin Selby entered and forced Pete Alonso into an inning-ending double play. Selby, a graduate from Division III Randolph Macon in Ashland, Va., earned the first win of his career thanks to the seventh-inning bonanza.

“This team is always pushing forward,” said Peguero. “There’s been a couple hard times, but one thing we’re doing well, and hopefully keep doing, is not giving up.”