Bader drives in go-ahead run for second straight day as Mets beat Pirates 6-3 to reach .500 at 8-8

NEW YORK (AP) — Harrison Bader drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for the second day in a row, hitting a two-run double off an angry Aroldis Chapman that lifted the New York Mets over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Monday night.

New York overcame a 3-0, sixth-inning deficit and reached .500 for the first time since they were 30-30 last June 6. The Mets have won eight of 11 following an 0-5 start under first-year manager Carlos Mendoza.

“It’s important to continue to play well after a rough, start, but we’ve still got a long ways to go,” Mendoza said. “I like where we are a team.”

Chapman (0-1) was ejected by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso after Bader’s double.

“He evidently said something that the umpire did not like,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

New York stole three bases in the eighth against the Pirates, who have allowed 13 steals this season without throwing out a runner.

With the score 3-all, Jeff McNeil reached on a wild pitch as Chapman bounced a slider past catcher Henry Davis. DJ Stewart, whose pinch-hit double in the sixth tied the score, held up his swing for a walk on a full-count pitch.

“Everyone can doubt us all they want,” Stewart said.

McNeil and Stewart pulled off a double steal, and Bader lined a fastball into the left-field corner. His eighth-inning infield hit drove in the first run Sunday in a 2-1 win over Kansas City.

After Bader stole third, Brandon Nimmo grounded to second baseman Jared Triolo with the infield in, and Bader slid in ahead of Davis’ tag.

Davis made his 13th start this season at catcher for the Pirates following injuries to Endy Rodríguez (Tommy John surgery), Yasmani Grandal (plantar fasciitis in his left foot) and Jason Delay (right knee inflammation).

Adam Ottavino (1-0) pitched the eighth with a pair of strikeouts and has retired 17 consecutive batters.

Edwin Díaz worked around a walk for his second save in two days, his 100th with the Mets. He remained perfect in four save chances in his return from a torn right patellar tendon that sidelined him for all of last season, and has converted 26 in a row dating to 2022.

A day after hitting his 300th homer, Andrew McCutchen had a go-ahead RBI single off Adrian Houser in a three-run Pirates sixth that included Connor Joe’s run-scoring single off Drew Smith and Triolo’s sacrifice fly. Joe’s hit made him 9 for 17 this season with runners in scoring position.

New York tied the score in the bottom half. Martín Pérez walked Francisco Alvarez with the bases loaded, and Francisco Lindor scored from third when Joe spiked the ball for an error while throwing to first after McNeil’s fly to right.

“Unfortunately it got away from me,” Joe said.

Stewart doubled on the first pitch from rookie Hunter Stratton.

Pérez gave up three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, while Houser matched his career high with five walks and allowed two runs and two hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The crowd of 18,266 was the fourth under 20,000 in nine home dates this season at Citi Field.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: LHP Marco Gonzales (strained left forearm) is in Pittsburgh being evaluated. ... INF/OF Ji Hwan Bae (strained left hip) was activated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after going 5 for 10 with a home run during a three-game rehab assignment with the Indians.

Mets: RHP Kodai Senga (right shoulder capsule strain) is to throw off a mound this week but to a catcher standing up.

UP NEXT

Mets LHP Jose Quintana (1-1, 3.45 ERA) starts Tuesday night for the Mets and rookie RHP Jared Jones (1-2, 4.00) goes for the Pirates.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Aroldis Chapman throws against the New York Mets during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Aroldis Chapman winds up to throw against the New York Mets during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Aroldis Chapman reacts after giving up hits against the New York Mets during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor, bottom, is out as Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Jared Triolo, top, throws to first to complete a double play during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Brett Baty celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen, right, hits a single against the New York Mets during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jared Triolo runs after hitting a ball for a sacrifice fly against the New York Mets during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Jeff McNeil celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Harrison Bader, second from left, scores after Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, missed a tag at home plate during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Umpire Edwin Moscoso, left, calls New York Mets' Harrison Bader, center, safe after Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, missed a tag at home plate during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Harrison Bader reacts after hitting a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

PHOENIX (AP) — Prosecutors say they will not retry an Arizona rancher whose trial in the fatal shooting of a Mexican man on his property ended last week with a deadlocked jury.

The jurors in the case against George Alan Kelly were unable to reach a unanimous decision on a verdict after more than two days of deliberation. The judge declared a mistrial on April 22.

The 75-year-old Kelly had been on trial for nearly a month. The rancher was charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2023, killing of 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea outside Nogales, Arizona, near the border with Mexico.

Cuen-Buitimea had lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He was in a group of men that Kelly encountered that day on his cattle ranch.

The trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

PHOENIX (AP) — Prosecutors are headed back to court Monday afternoon to announce whether they will retry an Arizona rancher after a jury deadlocked last week over whether or not to convict him in the shooting of a Mexican man on his property.

The jurors in the case against George Alan Kelly were unable to reach a unanimous decision on a verdict after more than two days of deliberation. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink declared a mistrial on April 22.

After the mistrial, the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office has the option to retry Kelly — or to drop the case.

The 75-year-old Kelly had been on trial for nearly a month in Nogales, which is on the border with Mexico. The rancher had been charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2023, killing of 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea outside Nogales, Arizona.

Cuen-Buitimea had lived just south of the border in Nogales, Mexico. He was in a group of men that Kelly encountered that day on his cattle ranch. His two adult daughters, along with Mexican consular officials, met with prosecutors last week to learn about the implications of a mistrial.

Prosecutors had said Kelly recklessly fired nine shots from an AK-47 rifle toward a group of men, including Cuen-Buitimea, about 100 yards (90 meters) away on his cattle ranch. Kelly has said he fired warning shots in the air, but argued he didn’t shoot directly at anyone.

The trial coincided with a presidential election year that has drawn widespread interest in border security. During the trial, court officials took jurors to Kelly’s ranch as well as a section of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Earlier, Kelly had rejected an agreement with prosecutors that would have reduced the charge to one count of negligent homicide if he pleaded guilty.

Kelly was also accused of aggravated assault of another person in the group of about eight people.

FILE - George Alan Kelly enters court for his preliminary hearing in Nogales Justice Court in Nogales, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2023. Prosecutors headed back to court Monday, April 29, 2024, to announce whether they will retry Kelly, an Arizona rancher, after a jury deadlocked in the fatal shooting of a Mexican man on his property near the southern U.S. border. Jurors in the case against Kelly did not reach a unanimous decision on a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial on April 22. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool, File)