Rookie Polanco powers Pirates

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Hot-hitting rookie Gregory Polanco homered and drove in four runs, resurgent right-hander Vance Worley pitched seven stingy innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Mets 5-2 on Thursday night.

Polanco drove in the game’s first run with a groundout in the first inning, then sent a three-run homer into the right-field stands off Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 5-1. The right fielder went 2 for 3 with a walk and is hitting .338 in 16 games since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 10.

Worley (2-0) scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out three. He has given up four runs in 202/3 innings over three starts since coming up from Indianapolis on June 15. He was 1-5 with a 7.21 ERA in 10 starts for Minnesota last season.

Matsuzaka (3-2) allowed five runs and five hits in six innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Lucas Duda hit his team-high 12th home run for the Mets.

Polanco’s home run came after Pedro Alvarez hit the first of his three singles and Worley also singled.

The Mets cut it to 5-2 on back-to-back doubles by Daniel Murphy and David Wright in the eighth, but Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

Alert baserunning by Andrew McCutchen enabled the Pirates to score a run in the fourth and move in front 2-1.

With runners on first and third with two outs, Ike Davis took off and got caught in a rundown between first and second. Before the Mets could tag Davis out, McCutchen raced home from third.

Duda tied it 1-all by slicing his homer down the left-field line leading off the fourth.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the first when Jordy Mercer drew a leadoff walk and scored on a groundout by Polanco.

NOTES

New York activated CF Juan Lagares (ribcage) from the 15-day disabled list before the game. . Mets RHP Dillon Gee will make his second rehab start Sunday, pitching for Class-A Brooklyn while on a 55-pitch limit. He has been on the DL since June 11 with a strained right lat. . Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game. He felt concussion-like symptoms after sliding into second base Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. The head and neck are no longer a problem, but Marte is still feeling the effects of a jammed right middle finger. . Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano had a 30-pitch bullpen session, the first time he had thrown off a mound since going on the disabled list June 11 with a left oblique strain. . New York RHP Jacob deGrom (1-4, 3.75 ERA) faces RHP Brandon Cumpton (3-2, 4.93) in a matchup of rookies tonight.