NEW YORK -- If not for Chris Stewart straining his left hamstring while legging out a triple on Monday, Elias Diaz would have been with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday night. If not for the illness that sidelined Francisco Cervelli, Diaz would have spent the series opener at Citi Field in the Pirates' dugout.
But Cervelli was scratched 25 minutes before Matt Harvey's first pitch, and Diaz took full advantage of the unexpected opportunity. The 26-year-old catcher powered the Pirates' 12-7 win over the Mets, going 2-for-5 with a double and his first Major League homer.