Thanks to terrific defense, a strong outing from Mike Pelfrey (pictured) and the bullpen, the Mets remained in sole possession of first place in the NL East with a 2-1 road win over the Pirates in the opener of a four-game series. It was the Amazin’s fourth win in a row. In the notebook, Ryan Church’s comeback from post-concussion syndrome appears to be a go after he appeared in a game for the first time in over a month. There are also items on Billy Wagner, Eddie Kunz and Luis Castillo.