Semien, Thornton send Mets to 4th straight win

PITTSBURGH -- It’s most likely too late in the season to make a difference, but the Mets are on a bit of a roll.

The Mets won their fourth straight game on Friday night, matching their longest streak of the season, as they downed the Pirates, 6-4, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. That win came after the Mets, who are in last place in the National League East, swept the Guardians in a three-game set at Cleveland.

Marcus Semien blasted a three-run homer to left-center off Carmen Mlodzinski to cap a four-run third inning Friday night and put the Mets ahead, 5-0. The Mets have scored at least six runs in each of the four games of the winning streak.

Rookie left-hander Zac Thornton (3-2) pitched five scoreless innings for the win. He gave up four hits, struck out three and walked two.

Rookie A.J. Ewing led off the game with a double and scored on Carson Benge’s single to give the Mets a quick 1-0 lead. Benge singled in another run in the third before Semien homered for the second game in a row and for the 14th time this season.

Francisco Lindor pushed the lead to 6-0 with an RBI single in the fourth.

Benge exited with left wrist soreness in the bottom of the fourth inning. Benge crashed into the left-field corner, making an outstanding catch on a fly ball hit by Ronny Simon one inning earlier. Benge was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a stolen base before his exit.

In 112 games this season, the 23-year-old Benge is hitting .270 with 13 home runs and 18 stolen bases.

Ewing had three hits for the Mets.