Mets’ players-only meeting does nothing as Pirates embarrass them again

PITTSBURGH — From deciding to meet to dead meat, the Mets’ weekend by the Three Rivers couldn’t have proceeded much worse.

Rule No.1 for players-only meetings is generally to hold them a night before your ace is scheduled to pitch. But the Mets barely have five pitchers to fill out a starting rotation these days, never mind an ace.

So, it was on Frankie Montas’ right arm Sunday to help turn the previous night’s open forum among players into something positive.

Montas flopped and the lineup was unresponsive, leaving the Mets floating face down in the Allegheny in a 12-1 loss at PNC Park that completed the Pirates’ three-game sweep.

The Mets, who lost for the 13th time in 16 games, were outscored by an embarrassing 30-4 in losing three games to the NL Central’s basement dwellers — a team that began the weekend on pace for 100 losses.

Instead of a comfortable weekend following a rough stretch against NL East foes, the Mets’ weaknesses were further exposed. It led to Saturday’s players’ only forum, in which Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso were among the players to speak.

Lindor, who took ownership for his recent uninspiring play, was again part of the problem on this day. The shortstop finished 0-for-4 on a day the Mets managed only two extra-base hits.

Montas’ undoing in the first inning occurred with two outs. After Ke’Bryan Hayes stroked a single for two runs, Oneil Cruz launched a two-run homer that placed the Mets in a 4-0 hole. Tommy Pham followed with a homer and by the time Montas recorded the final out the Pirates had sent eight batters to the plate.

Henry Davis and Adam Frazier delivered consecutive singles to begin the second, and Andrew McCutchen’s sacrifice fly extended the Pirates’ lead to 6-0. Montas was at 50 pitches as the inning concluded.

Luis Torrens’ homer in the fifth got the Mets their only run. It was the second homer of the season for Torrens, who began the day with a microscopic .239 OPS for June. Torrens last weekend became the starting catcher after Francisco Alvarez was optioned to Syracuse to work on his game.