PITTSBURGH — Eventually a starting pitcher was going to throw a clunker, forcing the Mets to find another way to win a game.
That test arrived Friday night, and the Mets flopped. Steven Matz was knocked out in the fourth inning — snapping the team’s string of excellent starting-pitching performances — and the Mets’ lineup and bullpen went flat in an 8-4 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park that ended their seven-game winning streak.
The Mets (53-56) had enjoyed success as their starting pitchers went 7-1 with a 1.47 ERA over the previous 12 games, and Matz started on that course over three innings before getting flattened in the fourth, when the Pirates scored five runs.