Diaz gets save in return from suspension, Torrens hits three-run double as Mets beat Pirates 5-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Luis Torrens had three hits, including a three-run double, and Edwin Diaz got the save after his 10-game suspension ended earlier in the day as the New York Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Saturday.

Torrens hit his double in the third inning to the deepest part of the park at the 410-foot sign in left-center to break a scoreless tie. The catcher also singled twice as the Mets snapped a three-game losing streak.

A night earlier, Torrens was used in mop-up relief in the Mets’ 14-2 loss to the Pirates.

“Anytime I can contribute to the team both offensively and defensively, I’m happy to do that,” Torrens said.

Torrens was playing at Triple-A Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when the Mets purchased his contract from the New York Yankees on May 31. He is hitting .317 in 15 games as Francisco Alvarez’s backup.

“He’s been great not only offensively getting timely hits but the way he handles the pitching staff, making those guys feel really good about themselves, making adjustments when needed, communicating with the pitching coaches, the game planning,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 12 opportunities. Diaz was suspended by Major League Baseball after being ejected from a game against the Chicago Cubs on June 23 for having a foreign substance on his pitching hand.

“I was a little anxious but then I just concentrated on throwing strikes,” Diaz said.

Brandon Nimmo also had three of the Mets’ 11 hits. Jose Butto (3-3) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Bryan Reynolds had two hits for the Pirates, who had won two of their previous three games. That came after he hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs in Friday’s rout.

Pirates starter Bailey Falter was removed in the third inning because of left posterior arm discomfort after the Mets loaded the bases with no outs. Dennis Santana relieved and struck out Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos before Torrens delivered his big blow.

“I just obviously wanted to try to stay in the game for as much as possible, just to give the bullpen a little break,” Falter said. “But I noticed a little discomfort in the warmup pitches in the third. Didn’t really throw too many strikes. It kind of flared up after that and I kind of just lost feel for (the strike zone).”

The Pirates’ Oneil Cruz hit a towering two-run home run off Mets starter David Peterson in the fourth inning that cleared the right-field stands and bounced into the Allegheny River.

The Mets got two runs back in the sixth to increase their lead to 5-2. Jose Iglesias hit an RBI double and Harrison Bader followed with a sacrifice fly.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton was ejected by home plate umpire John Tumpane in the bottom of the seventh inning for arguing a called strike against Jack Suwinski with the bases loaded. Reed Garrett then struck out Suwinski to end the threat and preserve the Mets’ three-run edge.

Falter (4-7) was charged with three runs in two-plus innings while allowing five hits.

Peterson worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

ROSTER MOVE

Mets: Selected the contract of RHP Eric Orze from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned RHP Ty Adcock to the same club. Orze is looking to make his major league debut.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: RHP David Bednar (strained left oblique muscle) threw 21 pitches in a simulated game and could be close to either returning to the active roster or going to the minor leagues for a brief rehab assignment. … RHP Daulton Jefferies (right elbow discomfort) was placed on the 15-day injured list and RHP Ryder Ryan was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.

UP NEXT

The Mets will pitch LHP Sean Manaea (5-3, 3.67 ERA) on Sunday in the third game of a four-game wraparound series against Pirates RHP Luis Ortiz (4-2, 3.27). Manaea is 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last four starts.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) celebrates with catcher Francisco Alvarez, bottom, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates third base Ke'Bryan Hayes catches a bunt attempted by New York Mets' Tyrone Taylor during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz (15) rounds third to greetings from third base coach Mike Rabelo, left, after hitting a two-run home run off New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz (15) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run off New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Mets' Jose Iglesias celebrates as he stands on second base after driving in a run with a double off Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Ryder Ryan during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, right, questions a ball and strike call by umpire John Tumpane, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. Shelton was ejected for his protest. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) and Brandon Nimmo (9) celebrate as Tyrone Taylor (15) watches after the final out of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

New York Mets' Luis Torrens (13) hits a double off Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana, driving in three runs, during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

An Israeli strike on a refugee camp in north Lebanon has killed Hamas official Saeed Atallah Ali and his family, the militant group said Saturday. The early morning strike came a day after another Israeli airstrike cut off a main highway linking Lebanon with Syria, leaving two huge craters on either side of the road.

Israel began a ground incursion Tuesday into Lebanon against the Hezbollah militant group. The Israeli military said nine soldiers have died in the conflict in southern Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since the day after Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel declared war on the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip in response. As the Israel-Hamas war reaches the one-year mark, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, and just over half the dead have been women and children, according to local health officials.

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, most of them since Sept. 23, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Here is the latest:

BEIRUT — Nearly 375,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria, fleeing Israeli bombardment, in less than two weeks, Lebanese officials said.

The government's crisis management unit, citing figures from Lebanese General Security, said 374,621 people — Lebanese citizens and Syrians living in Lebanon — have crossed into Syria since Sept. 23, when Israel intensified its air bombardment campaign in Lebanon.

Thousands have continued to cross on foot through the main Masnaa Border Crossing even after Israeli airstrikes cut off the road leading up to it on Thursday.

Associated Press journalists on Saturday saw a nonstop stream of people walking through a huge crater created by the airstrike to waiting buses on the other side.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad praised Iran for firing nearly 200 missiles at Israel earlier this week saying it was a message to Israel that Tehran and its allies “can deter the enemy.”

Assad spoke during a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday. In comments carried by state media, Assad said that “resisting occupation, aggression and mass killings is a legitimate right.”

Assad said the Iran-led alliance known as Axis of Resistance will remain strong because of the backing of its people.

Syrian state media said Assad and Araghchi discussed ending Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.

Iran has been a main backer of Assad since Syria’s civil war began in March 2011.

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said on Saturday its special forces were carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, destroying missiles, launchpads, watchtowers and weapons storage facilities. The military said troops also dismantled tunnel shafts that Hezbollah used to approach the Israeli border.

Some 1,400 Lebanese, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians, have been killed and some 1.2 million driven from their homes since Israel escalated its strikes in late September aiming to cripple Hezbollah and push it away from the countries’ shared border. On Tuesday, Israel launched what it calls a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon.

Nine Israeli troops have been killed in close fighting in the area in the past few days, which is saturated with arms and explosives, the military said.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have hit civilian areas and infrastructure including hospitals and paramedics.

BEIRUT — Beirut’s southern suburbs was hit by 12 Israeli airstrikes early Saturday, including one that badly damaged a large hall Hezbollah has used to hold ceremonies, Lebanon’s state news agency said.

Later in the day, more strikes hit the area, from which tens of thousands of people have fled over the past two weeks.

Israeli airstrikes also hit areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, according to state media. At least six people were killed, according to NNA.

CAIRO — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes in northern and central Gaza early Saturday have killed at least nine people, including two children.

One strike hit a group of people in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, killing at least five people, including two children, according to the Health Ministry’s Ambulance and Emergency service.

Another strike hit a house in the northern part of Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least four people, the Awda hospital said. The strike also left a number of wounded people, it said.

The Israeli military did not have any immediate comment on the strikes, but has long accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas.

Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the almost year-long war, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths.

CAIRO — The Israeli military on Saturday warned residents in parts of central Gaza to evacuate, saying its forces will soon operate there in response to Palestinian militants.

The warnings cover areas along a strategic corridor in central Gaza, which was at the heart of obstacles to a ceasefire deal earlier this summer. The military warned Palestinians in areas of Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps, located along the Netzarim corridor, to evacuate to an along Gaza's shore called Muwasi, which the military has designated a humanitarian zone. It’s unclear how many Palestinians are currently living in the areas affected by the order, parts of which were evacuated previously.

Less than an hour after the evacuation order, Palestinians reported Israel’s artillery shelling and smoke bombing in the northern areas of Nuseirat camp. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli forces have repeatedly returned to heavily destroyed areas of Gaza where they fought earlier battles against Hamas and other militants since the start of the war one year ago.

The vast majority of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people has been displaced in the war, often multiple times, and hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps.

Others have remained in their homes despite being ordered to leave, saying nowhere in the isolated coastal territory feels safe.

BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on a refugee camp in north Lebanon has killed a Hamas official and his family, the militant group said Saturday.

Hamas said in a statement that the early Saturday strike on the Beddawi refugee camp struck the home of Saeed Atallah Ali, an official with Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Ali’s wife, Shaymaa Azzam, and their two daughters, Zeinab and Fatima — whom the statement described as children — were also killed in the attack.

Beddawi camp is near the northern city of Tripoli. It was the first such strike on the camp in the recent conflict.

Israel has killed several Hamas officials in Lebanon since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.

SEOUL, South Korea — A military plane evacuating 97 people from Lebanon arrived in South Korea on Saturday.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the group on the plane includes South Korean nationals and their family members. There are about 30 South Koreans left in Lebanon besides diplomats and embassy workers who are staying.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed officials Wednesday to send military aircraft to conflict areas in the Middle East as he called a meeting to discuss the impact of the intensified fighting in the region. There are about 480 South Korean nationals living in Israel and 110 in Iran.

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians and against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, at Mirgund north village of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

South Korean nationals and their family members arrive after being evacuated from Lebanon with a South Korea's military aircraft at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP)

Draped in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad flags, mourners take the last look at the bodies of 18 Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli airstrike during their funeral in Tulkarem, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Kashmiri Shiite Muslims shout pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians and against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, at Mirgund north village of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)