Alonso pushes Mets past Pirates 4-3 after solid outing by Skenes

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit a game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and the New York Mets took advantage of a costly error by shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Monday night.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes pitched out of trouble all night and exited after six innings with a chance to win. But the Mets scratched across two runs against Pittsburgh's bullpen in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead.

Juan Soto tied it with an RBI groundout, and speedy rookie Luisangel Acuña raced home from second when Alonso's groundball single trickled into shallow left field after glancing off the mitt of Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.

Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo robbed Joey Bart of a leadoff homer in the eighth, but Pittsburgh evened it 3-all in the ninth after an error by star shortstop Francisco Lindor.

With the infield playing in, Hayes drove in the tying run when Acuña couldn't handle a grounder to third that was scored an infield single.

With one out in the bottom half, Kiner-Falefa let Lindor's grounder scoot under his glove just behind second base. Lindor dashed to third on Soto's single to right-center off David Bednar (0-4), then scored easily on Alonso's long flyout to right field.

Huascar Brazobán (2-0) allowed just an unearned run in the ninth.

Kiner-Falefa homered off Mets starter David Peterson in his first plate appearance since coming off the injured list.

New York tied it at 1 when Nimmo and Jeff McNeil doubled off Skenes in the fourth. Bryan Reynolds gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead with an RBI groundout in the seventh.

Skenes yielded one run and six hits in six innings, with six strikeouts and three walks.

After the Pirates tied it, Brazobán got Reynolds to ground into an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners in the ninth.

Pittsburgh failed to score more than four runs for the 18th straight game, setting a franchise record since at least 1901. ... Skenes hasn't permitted more than six hits in any of his 32 major league starts. That's the longest such streak to begin a career (excluding openers), according to OptaStats. Shohei Ohtani went 31 starts from 2018-21.

Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-4, 4.40 ERA) faces RHP Kodai Senga (4-2, 1.16) in the middle game of the series Tuesday night.

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New York Mets' Francisco Lindor, right, scores during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets' Luisangel Acuña, left, slides past Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, right, to score on a single by Pete Alonso during the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) catches a ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Joey Bart during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

New York Mets players celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, and No. 2 Michigan beat No. 24 Southern California 96-66 on Friday night.

Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points for the Wolverines (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten), and Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 10.

Michigan is off to its best start since it won 17 straight games to start the 2018-19 season.

Jaden Brownell scored 16 points and Erza Ausar added 15 for the Trojans (12-2, 1-2), whose only previous loss was by eight points against Washington on Dec. 6. Chad Baker-Mazara, who came into the game averaging 21 points, was hampered by early foul trouble and finished with 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Michigan starting guard Nimari Burnett was helped from the court with 16:25 left after falling during a battle under the basket. He went down to the floor and appeared to be bleeding above his eyebrow and holding his ankle. He sat on the bench the rest of the night.

The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers. USC got within five points twice in the first half and Michigan responded with a 32-19 run to build a 49-31 halftime advantage.

USC got no closer the rest of the way.

USC: At No. 9 Michigan State on Monday.

Michigan: Visits Penn State on Tuesday.

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Michigan center Aday Mara, front, drives against Southern California center Gabe Dynes, back, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)