Bobby Parnell's throw in the seventh inning seemed innocuous enough.
The Mets reliever fielded a ball from Pirates pinch-hitter Michael Morse with no outs and did an about face to try for the force play on Pedro Florimon at second.
Except the ball went into the outfield after it appeared Ruben Tejada could not get back in time for the throw. Florimon reached third base, Parnell was given an error on the throw and the play was ruled a fielder's choice.
That's when the trouble really started. A series of singles, mental mistakes and sloppy play that inning, including a passed ball that couldn't be recovered in time to prevent a score, led to a 5-1 lead for the Pirates, who beat the Mets 8-1 Sunday at Citi Field.