New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates

The Mets are not going to rebuild despite having a most disappointing season. It is not in owner Steve Cohen’s M.O. to take a step back. If the Mets’ talented roster stays healthy, there is no reason why they couldn’t bounce back and contend next year. Yet if the Mets want to get at least a little younger in 2027, three players who could help spark a turnaround shined in a 6-4 victory over the Pirates on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Left-hander Zac Thornton (3-2) pitched five scoreless innings with help from his outfield defense. Center fielder A.J. Ewing had three hits, and left fielder Carson Benge hit a pair of RBI singles before leaving the game in the fourth inning with left wrist soreness. The rookies’ heroics, along with Marcus Semien’s three-run home run, helped the Mets build a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning. The Mets withstood a two-run rally by the Pirates in the bottom of the ninth inning when closer Devin Williams got Bryan Reynolds to ground out with a runner on first to end the game. It all added up to a fourth straight win, tying a season high for the Mets, who are last in the National League East with a 51-66 record. Thornton blanked the Pirates despite sitting through a 36-minute rain delay after the second inning. He also bounced back from a subpar outing in his start last Saturday, when he allowed four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Marlins. “It wasn’t as difficult as people might think,” Thornton said of waiting out the delay. “We went up \[to the indoor batting cage\