Jason Mackey’s nine observations: Tough night for Hunter Barco in walk-off loss

NEW YORK — At some point in his career, Hunter Barco may look back on Saturday’s game as a pivotal moment, an area that helped him grow. But it’ll take a bit to get there

Right now, the Pirates’ 4-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field stings. Barco avoided serious damage in the 10th but lost it an inning later when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. hit a well-executed slider over the fence in left-center for a walk-off three-run homer.

A young lefty starter thrust into relief duty, then high-leverage innings to boot, Barco -- just four innings into his Major League career -- undoubtedly endured a tough night.

“Definitely a crazy situation coming in,” Barco said. “[Had] never come into anything like that. Just really taking experiences out of it. Was lucky to get out of that 10th inning. And gotta give credit to Robert. Great swing.”

The loss drops the Pirates to 0-2 to start the season. It spoiled Nick Gonzales pushing the Pirates ahead in the 10th, then Bryan Reynolds in the 11th, plus an excellent game from Jake Mangum and a strong start delivered by Mitch Keller.

Let’s work through my nine observations from this one.

• It’s easier said than done, but Barco shouldn’t hang his head. The pitch was a slider down. It may or may not have been called a strike. Barco’s right, too: Robert simply put a great swing on it.

It didn’t matter, but Barco in the 10th made an incredible play on a check swing from Juan Soto, offering a barehanded flip to Henry Davis for the out. He faced Francisco Lindor, Soto and Bo Bichette with no room for error and got the game to the 11th.

“Obviously never want to get walked off, but he showed some true fight and character out there,” Keller said. “It can only can go up from here. Build off of that one, and he proved that he belongs and can pitch.”

• The real problem Saturday wasn’t hard to pinpoint: The Pirates went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 17. Can’t happen. Their relievers also walked five in four innings, bringing the bullpen’s total to 12 free passes in 11 1/3 innings, plus two hit batters.

“We have to throw strikes,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “They know that. We were really good at it last year. We’re gonna be really good at it this year. Early on, first two games, not so much. Full confidence in our guys to dominate that.”

• Mangum made a difference. Finished with two hits, including a double. His best play was chasing down a 393-foot fly ball off the bat of Lindor, displaying some serious range in center field.

Oneil Cruz will get more opportunities. The Pirates have committed to that. But they need to find ways to get Mangum into the lineup. Pretty easy to see that he makes a difference.

“That’s why we brought him in,” Kelly said. “He’s a spark plug and finds ways to get things done. Offensively and defensively, he made some good plays.”

• Excellent defensive game from the Pirates. Gonzales made a tough catch in foul ground for the first out of the fifth. Ryan O’Hearn ended the sixth by snaring a line drive. Mangum and Barco did their thing. Progress from Thursday.

• A shame to waste this Keller start. He gave the Pirates six scoreless innings, the 16th time in his career he’s lasted that long while not allowing a run.

Keller didn’t miss many bats — he had five whiffs and three strikeouts — but he threw all of his pitches for strikes and thrived on weak contact. In other words, what we’ve come to expect from Keller.

• O’Hearn had a better OPS (.832) against left-handed pitching last year compared to righties (.795), and we saw why with his fifth-inning single, turning on an inside sinker from David Robertson and shooting it through the right side. That was O’Hearn’s 11th consecutive game with a hit dating back to last season, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball.

• Gonzales has enjoyed a strong start to the season with four hits in two games. Not only that, he’s held his own at third. We’ve seen Cruz struggle in center, the offense put up a touchdown before going silent and pitchers — especially relievers — struggling to find the zone.

But Gonzales has been a pleasant surprise.

“He’s taking some good swings,” Kelly said. “He drove the ball the other way. Big hit there to drive in the go-ahead run in extras. Has played well at third base, too.”

• Similarly, Nick Yorke didn’t look out of place in right field, especially on Bichette’s drive into the corner in the fourth inning. Held Bichette to a single.

• Pitching coach Bill Murphy made an excellent mound visit after two Justin Lawrence walks in the seventh inning. Murphy took it slow, and Lawrence recalibrated. Lawrence struck out the next two before Gregory Soto fanned right fielder Carson Benge to help the Pirates escape trouble.

Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.