Mets rally past the Pirates 4-2 on a 3-run homer by Luis Robert Jr. in the 11th inning

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Mets a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Luis Torrens delivered a tying single in the 10th on his first swing this season, and the Mets improved to 2-0 following an 11-7 victory on Thursday over Paul Skenes and the Pirates in their opener.

After starters Mitch Keller and David Peterson matched zeros in 42-degree weather, Nick Gonzales lined an RBI single for Pittsburgh with one out in the 10th to break a scoreless tie.

Mets reliever Luis Garcia prevented further damage by retiring Jake Mangum with the bases loaded.

Bryan Reynolds put the Pirates ahead again with a two-out infield single in the 11th before Richard Lovelady (1-0) struck out Gonzales with runners at the corners.

Jorge Polanco worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half from rookie left-hander Hunter Barco (0-1), who pitched out of a huge jam in the 10th to extend the game in his third major league appearance.

With automatic runner Bo Bichette also aboard at second, Robert reached down and drove a 1-0 slider over the left-center fence for his first homer with the Mets and the second walk-off shot of his career. The center fielder from Cuba, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a January trade, also had two RBI singles Thursday in his New York debut.

Pittsburgh finished 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 17. Mangum's ninth-inning double was the only extra-base hit in the game until Roberts went deep.

Following the Mets' offseason makeover, the 30-year-old Peterson became the team's longest-tenured player. The left-hander, a first-time All-Star last season before fading in the second half, allowed six singles and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.

He pitched around a throwing error by Bichette, switching from shortstop to third base this year, and induced a popup from new Pirates cleanup batter Marcell Ozuna on a 2-0 fastball with the bases loaded to end the fifth.

Keller was even better, permitting just three singles and no walks in six innings. The right-hander, an All-Star in 2023, has a 1.79 ERA in seven starts against New York.

Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (5-1, 2.06 ERA) makes his season debut Sunday in the series finale. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (5-8, 3.55) pitches for Pittsburgh.

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New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) celebrates with teammates after hitting a three run home run during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a three run home run during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets' Juan Soto (22) hits a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) hits a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates , Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Pittsburgh Pirates' pitcher Mitch Keller (23) throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets' pitcher David Peterson (23) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) celebrates after hitting a single during the tenth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

PRAGUE (AP) — Ilia Malinin is back on the top step of the podium.

Six weeks after a disastrous free skate knocked the Olympic gold-medal favorite off the podium, the “quad god” reeled off one huge jump after another, and a backflip for good measure, to retain his world championship title on Saturday for the third year running.

Malinin shouted and punched the air with relief after finishing a skate that showed he had achieved his desire to “move on” from the Olympics after days tormented by his mistakes.

He praised the crowd's support, saying: “It was really challenging, really hard but with you guys I was able to make it through.” His aim, he added, had simply been to get through the free skate “in one piece."

Skating last after leading the short program, just as he did in Milan, Malinin landed five high-scoring quadruple jumps but not his pioneering quad axel, a jump he didn't attempt at the Olympics.

Malinin said that he came to the worlds with a fresh mindset after all the pressure from the Olympics was over. His goal was to “enjoy every moment on the ice and just have fun out there.”

“Going here I felt like there was almost no pressure at all,” he said. “I just completely blocked out all the expectations, all the pressure that people put on me and was really here to escape for myself and enjoy every moment of these world championships.”

Malinin scored 218.11 in the free skate for a total 329.40, far ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan on 306.67. Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, was third on 288.54.

Kagiyama beat his personal-best free skate score but still had to make do with a fourth career world championship silver in a career which includes four Olympic silvers and five total worlds medals, but no gold from either event. He still embraced Malinin after his skate and they jumped together in celebration.

Being second again was not a big deal for Kagiyama.

After a disappointing performance at the free skate at the Olympics, he said “I came here solely focused on finishing the event with a satisfying performance,” adding that “I’m relieved that I was finally able to achieve that goal.”

In a showcase of top-level skating, there was no podium spot for France's Adam Siao Him Fa, who had been in second after the short program but dropped to fifth overall after a fall. Estonia's Aleksandr Selevko also fell dropped from third to sixth.

Malinin had no rematch with Mikhail Shaidorov, the skater from Kazakhstan who won the Olympic gold, because he opted against competing again this season.

That's relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.

Malinin becomes the first skater to win three consecutive men's world titles since fellow American Nathan Chen, who achieved the feat in 2018, 2019 and 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ice dance was the only event at the world championships where the Milan Cortina Olympic champions were competing, and France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron added a world title to their collection.

The French team scored 138.07 in their free dance for a total 230.81, both personal bests, to cap a successful and often controversial first season together.

Olympic bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada are world silver medalists three years running after scoring 211.52.

Olympic silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates withdrew before the championships but Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik still took a surprise bronze for the U.S. on 209.20.

That was decided when British pair Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson picked up a rare two-point deduction for an “illegal element/movement” and dropped behind the Americans. Exactly what was wrong wasn't immediately explained.

Kaori Sakamoto won women's gold on Friday for a fourth world title before heading into retirement. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won pairs for Germany on Thursday.

Ellingworth reported from Duesseldorf, Germany.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron from France hug after competing during the ice dance free dance at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Yuma Kagiyama from Japan reacts after seeing his score during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Yuma Kagiyama from Japan reacts at the end of his routine during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Ilia Malinin from the United States reacts while awaiting his scores during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Ilia Malinin from the United States competes during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Ilia Malinin from the United States reacts at the end of his routine during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)