Pirates overcome 5-run deficit

The Bucs avoided a sweep with a 10-7 victory.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Two costly New York errors and Adam LaRoche’s third hit of the game helped finish off Pittsburgh’s comeback from a five-run deficit, and the Pirates avoided being swept at home by the Mets for the first time since 2001 by winning 10-7 Thursday night.

Jason Bay had three run-scoring singles and LaRoche hit a two-run homer to lead the Pirates’ rally from deficits of 5-0 and 7-3, a night after they gave the Mets a big scare by scoring four runs in the ninth before losing 10-8.

This time, the Pirates scored twice in the seventh to tie it and three more times in the eighth to win it as the Mets’ defense twice allowed Pittsburgh to keep the pivotal eighth inning going.

With two outs, third baseman David Wright threw away Freddy Sanchez’s potential inning-ending grounder for a two-base error.

Sanchez then scored the go-ahead run when catcher Mike DiFelice dropped the throw at the plate for an error after LaRoche singled for his third hit. Bay and Jose Bautista followed with run-scoring singles.

It was the first time the Mets lost a game after having a lead of at least five runs since April 30, 2004, at San Diego.

Marte earns win

Damaso Marte (1-0) won it with a scoreless eighth. Aaron Heilman (7-5), the Mets’ fourth pitcher, lost it by allowing three runs — none earned — and five hits over two innings. Matt Capps got the save, his 11th in 13 opportunities.

The Mets were in position to sweep a road series for the first time since May, only to waste Carlos Beltran’s two-run homer in the first and two run-scoring singles each for starting pitcher Brian Lawrence and Luis Castillo.

Lawrence was more effective as a hitter than a pitcher, driving in a run as the Mets scored twice in the third against Pirates starter Tony Armas and the fifth against Franquelis Osoria. Leadoff hitter Jose Reyes’ baserunning also led to two runs as he stole second base immediately after walking in the first and getting a single in the second.

LaRoche’s two-run homer, his 18th, and the first of Ronny Paulino’s successive doubles helped the Pirates cut it to 5-3 in the fourth. Bay, only 8-for-53 in his last 12 games coming in, singled in runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth.

Pittsburgh, trailing 7-5 entering the seventh, tied it by scoring twice against relievers Guillermo Mota, Pedro Feliciano and Heilman. Jose Castillo, playing only because Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson developed asthma-like symptoms in the fifth, singled in the tying run.