Pirates @ Mets

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Pirates (55-89)

@ New York Mets (90-55)

Starting Pitchers:

Keller (PIT): 5-10; 4.01 ERA

Walker (NYM) 11-4; 3.48 ERA

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Pirates: (+222)

New York Mets: (-270)

• The starting line-up for the Pirates is as follows:

• The starting line-up for the for the Mets is as follows:

• The New York Mets needed a lot of things Thursday night — none more than the early lead they took on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets will look to build off Thursday’s wire-to-wire win on Friday night, when they host the Pirates in the second game of a four-game series.

• Daniel Vogelbach snapped a lengthy slump for Mets designated hitters with a two-run first inning single on Thursday as New York rolled to a 7-1 victory. Vogelbach’s hit gave the Mets their first lead of a homestand that began with New York getting swept in a three-game series by the sub-.500 Chicago Cubs.

• Carlos Carrasco, starting one night after the Mets’ bullpen had to get 26 outs in a 6-3 loss to the Cubs, struck out a season-high 11 over six innings as National League East-leading New York (90-55) snapped a three-game losing streak.

• The Mets increased their lead to one game over the idle Atlanta Braves in the race for the division title and the likely second bye in the NL playoffs.

• New York’s Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer — his 24th long ball of the year, setting a team record for most round-trippers by a shortstop in a season — and Vogelbach had an RBI single in the third. Mark Vientos, pinch-hitting for Vogelbach in the fourth, delivered his first major league hit, an RBI single. Mets designated hitters had just four RBIs in the team’s previous 20 games combined.

• The Pirates (55-89) had their four-game winning streak ended. Pittsburgh hasn’t won five in a row since April 2019. On Thursday, the Pirates were limited to four hits — two apiece by Bryan Reynolds and Michael Chavis against Carrasco — and struck out 16 times. Carrasco and relievers Seth Lugo and Joely Rodriguez combined to set down the final 17 batters they faced, eight by strikeout.

• Walker earned a win on Sunday, when he gave up one run over seven innings as the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 9-3. Keller didn’t factor into the decision on Sunday despite allowing two hits over seven scoreless innings in the Pirates’ 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the second straight scoreless outing for Keller, who made his first appearance against the Mets on Sept. 6 earning an 8-2 victory by blanking New York for six innings.

• Walker is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates. He took a loss Sept. 6 vs. Keller and Pittsburgh after giving up four runs over five innings.