A big mess, but Mets manage to sweep

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThere was some white-knuckling towards the end, but the Mets held on for an 8-7 over the Pirates to complete the sweep. An offensive eruption in the first built a six run lead, but Pittsburgh gradually chipped away, and the Met bullpen almost imploded in the ninth. Thankfully, the Pirates’ rally fell one run short, as Edwin Diaz righted the ship to close things out.

Before the wave of runs hit, the Mets got a bit of a scare when Jeff McNeil was hit in the shin by a pitch. A slider from Chris Archer that got away nailed McNeil in the shin, and he was slow getting up. He stayed in initially, but ultimately departed before his second plate appearances. X-rays…