PITTSBURGH — Luis Torrens probably wouldn’t have been part of Saturday’s starting lineup for the Mets if Francisco Alvarez was feeling right, but the team’s starting catcher was still sore.
In a scary moment a night earlier, Alvarez was drilled in the left elbow by a 99-mph fastball from Paul Skenes.
Alvarez remained in the game and subsequent X-rays were negative, but he was given most of the day off Saturday.
Enter Torrens, whose May 31 acquisition in a trade with the Yankees stands among the Mets’ best additions this season.
Torrens provided the kind of offensive firepower the Mets have come to expect from Alvarez, with a three-hit afternoon that included a three-run double as part of a 5-2 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park.
The Mets snapped a three-game losing streak on the day Edwin Diaz returned from a 10-game suspension for violating MLB’s rules on sticky substances.
Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
But it was Torrens’ bat that played loudest.
In addition to his bases-loaded double that accounted for the Mets’ scoring in the third, he singled and scored as part of a two-run sixth.
“Any time I can contribute to the team, both offensively and defensively, I am always happy to do that, especially with the situation we were in today,” Torrens said through an interpreter.
A night earlier, Torrens was needed to pitch and retired the only batter he faced in the eighth inning in mopping up a 14-2 loss to the Pirates.
But the Mets are hopeful they won’t see much of him in that role.
“He’s been great, not only offensively getting timely hits but the way he is handling the pitching staff,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He is making those guys feel really good about themselves, making adjustments when needed, communicating with the pitching coaches and with the game planning.”
The Mets received 4 ²/₃ innings of scoreless relief from Jose Butto, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Nunez and Diaz.
David Peterson on this day was removed as he prepared to work through the Pirates’ batting order for the third time.
The left-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4 ¹/₃ innings.
After loading the bases with nobody out in the third, Pirates starter Bradley Falter departed with what was termed left posterior arm discomfort.
Former Mets reliever Dennis Santana entered and struck out Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos before Torrens delivered a bases-clearing double that gave his team a 3-0 lead.
“In a game like today where we had a couple of runners on and we stranded them, I just had to lock in that at-bat, and I was able to get the job done there,” Torrens said.
Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer against Peterson in the fourth that pulled the Pirates within 3-2.
Nick Gonzales doubled leading off the inning, but Peterson’s pick off at second base got the first out.
After recording another out, Peterson walked Joey Bart and surrendered the homer to Cruz that smacked the right-field foul pole and bounded into the Allegheny River.
Jose Iglesias stroked an RBI double in the sixth and Harrison Bader’s ensuing sacrifice fly extended the Mets’ lead to 5-2.
Vientos and Torrens singled in succession to begin the rally.
After Butto fired 1 ²/₃ scoreless innings, Garrett navigated trouble in the seventh.
Garrett walked Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds in succession to load the bases before retiring Ke’Bryan Hayes for the second out on a lunging grab by Francisco Lindor.
Garrett fell behind in the count 3-1 to the ensuing batter, Jack Suwinski, and threw a pitch below the strike zone that Suwinski took, believing it was ball four.
Plate umpire John Tumpane signaled a strike, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton was ejected for disputing the call.
Suwinski struck out swinging on the next pitch to leave the bases loaded.
Nunez worked a perfect eighth before the Mets got the ball to Diaz for the ninth.
Alvarez also entered to give Diaz a familiar target behind the plate.
Diaz plunked Cruz before striking out Rowdy Tellez and getting McCutchen to hit into a game-ending double play.
“A huge bounce-back win and a great job by the bullpen today,” Mendoza said.
