|
 Santana (7-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings for New York, which has lost three of four. The Mets have scored two runs or less in five of Santana's 11 starts.
New York again was without All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran, who is dealing with a stomach virus and stayed at the team hotel.
John Grabow followed Duke with a perfect eighth and Matt Capps retired the Mets in order in the ninth for his 12th save and third in the past four days.
Santana retired the first 10 batters of the game but the Pirates seemed to solve him after that, with eight of the next 12 batters reaching against the left-hander.
Jaramillo hit a one-out drive to left to tie it at 1 in the fifth, and Pittsburgh pushed across two more in the sixth. McLouth doubled in Sanchez and scored on Adam LaRoche's double to make it 3-1.
McLouth also threw out Jeremy Reed trying to score on Luis Castillo's single in the third.
Reed tied a career high with three hits and Castillo had a sacrifice fly for New York.
Notes: The crowd was announced at 10,459 but the actual attendance was much less than that on a night when the NHL Penguins were hosting Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals across town. ... Pirates OF Nyjer Morgan was ejected by first base umpire Tim McClelland after slamming his helmet to the ground after being called out on a double-play comebacker to Santana in the fifth. It was the second time in the game the speedy Morgan was called out on a close play at first. ... New York INF Ramon Martinez left in the fifth with a dislocated left pinky finger. He was replaced at shortstop by Wilson Valdez.
| 
