Baty hits tiebreaking homer in 7th inning to send Mets past punchless Pirates 2-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Baty hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the New York Mets held off the punchless Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Brandon Nimmo had an early RBI double off hard-luck loser Mitch Keller for the NL East-leading Mets (28-15), who have won five of six to move a season-best 13 games over .500.

A throwing error by shortstop Francisco Lindor helped the Pirates put runners at second and third with one out in the ninth. But closer Edwin Díaz threw a called third strike past slumping Bryan Reynolds before cleanup batter Joey Bart grounded out in a drizzle to end it.

Pittsburgh advanced a runner to third with less than two outs every inning from the second through the fourth and came up empty each time against starter Kodai Senga, who struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings.

No. 9 batter Henry Davis drew a bases-loaded walk from reliever Reed Garrett in the sixth, tying it 1-all. But then Adam Frazier grounded out for the Pirates, who finished 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 overall.

Max Kranick (3-1) pitched a perfect seventh against his former team, Ryne Stanek stranded a runner in the eighth and Díaz got three outs for his ninth save.

Keller (1-5) allowed just two runs and five hits in seven innings, but lost his fifth consecutive decision. He struck out eight and walked one.

The last-place Pirates failed to score more than four runs for the 19th straight game, a franchise record since at least 1901.

Pittsburgh center fielder Oneil Cruz sat out for the third consecutive game since leaving Saturday’s 11-inning loss to Atlanta with lower back tightness.

With two outs in the seventh, Baty lined a 1-1 changeup from Keller the other way and off the railing just above the left-field fence at Citi Field. It was his fifth home run this season and fourth in his last four games with a plate appearance. The infielder was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on May 5.

The Mets are 17-4 at home and have won 11 of the last 12 against Pittsburgh at Citi Field.

Mets RHP Clay Holmes (5-1, 2.74 ERA) faces his original big league team Wednesday night in the series finale, though rain is in the forecast. The converted reliever has won three straight starts. LHP Bailey Falter (2-3, 4.36) goes for Pittsburgh.

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Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Kodai Senga, of Japan, pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) and Juan Soto (22) celebrate with teammates Luisangel Acuña (2), Pete Alonso (20) and Tyrone Taylor (15) after a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Brett Baty (7) celebrates iwth teammates after a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Brett Baty follows through on a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the U.S. military said, as the Trump administration targets sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela as part of a broader effort to take control of the South American country's oil.

The predawn raid was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the U.S. has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.

Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media Friday morning of a U.S. helicopter landing on the vessel and U.S. personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.

In her post, Noem said the ship was “another ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade U.S. forces."

The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.

In a post on his social media network later in the day, Trump said the seizure was conducted “in coordination with the Interim Authorities of Venezuela” but offered no elaboration.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for more details.

Venezuela’s government acknowledged in a statement that it was working with U.S. authorities to return the tanker, “which set sail without payment or authorization from the Venezuelan authorities,” to the South American nation.

“Thanks to this first successful joint operation, the ship is sailing back to Venezuelan waters for its protection and relevant actions,” according to the statement.

Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16 tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine U.S. forces have set up to block sanctioned ships from conducting trade. The Olina was among that flotilla.

U.S. government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, and flagged in Panama.

While records show the Olina is now flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is listed in the international shipping registry as having a false flag, meaning the registration it is claiming is not valid. In July, the owner and manager of the ship on its registration was changed to a company in Hong Kong.

According to ship tracking databases, the Olina last transmitted its location in November in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coast. Since then, however, the ship has been running dark with its location beacon turned off.

While Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law, other officials in the Trump administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela's battered oil industry and restore its economy.

In an early morning social media post, Trump said the U.S. and Venezuela “are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”

The administration said it expects to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds to go to both the U.S. and Venezuelan people. But the president expects the arrangement to continue indefinitely. He met Friday with executives from oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution.

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News this week that the U.S. can “control” Venezuela’s “purse strings” by dictating where its oil can be sold.

Madani estimated that the Olina is loaded with 707,000 barrels of oil, which at the current market price of about $60 a barrel would be worth more than $42 million.

Associated Press writers Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Josh Boak in Washington, and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

FILE - Evana, an oil tanker, is docked at El Palito Port in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Dec. 21, 2025. The U.S. military says U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The Olina is the fifth tanker seized by U.S. forces. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)