Starling Marte slammed his 150th career home run on Wednesday, helping the New York Mets secure a 9-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates and complete a sweep of their three-game series.
Marte, who played his first eight seasons with the Pirates, smashed the milestone two-run homer beyond the left-center field fence in the third inning, giving the Mets a 2-1 lead.
The 35-year-old outfielder is the only active player to achieve at least 150 home runs and 300 stolen bases, with his 341 steals leading all current players.
“Continuing to compete, achieving milestones and goals, and focusing on the team’s success — that matters most to me,” Marte said.
Tyrone Taylor delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning, followed by a home run from Harrison Bader on the next pitch, further extending the Mets’ lead.
The team’s strong performance helped them finish their homestand with a 5-1 record, including victories against the Pirates and the Kansas City Royals.
“We had a perfect homestand,” remarked Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “We showed resilience in coming back from deficits on multiple occasions. It’s encouraging to see the team playing so well.”
Brandon Nimmo’s two-run single in the eighth inning sealed the victory for the Mets, completing their first sweep at Citi Field since May 30-June 1, 2023, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in three consecutive games.
Right-handed pitcher Luis Severino, who earned the win with a solid performance, allowed only one unearned run over six innings. It was his longest outing since pitching seven scoreless innings for the Yankees against the Detroit Tigers on August 28 last year.
“We’re performing exceptionally well — showing great plate discipline, scoring runs effectively, and our defense was outstanding today,” Severino commented. “We’re in a good place right now.”
