NEW YORK -- The New York Mets traded slumping first baseman Ike Davis to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, parting ways with a power hitter who proved to be too inconsistent at the plate. Pittsburgh sent minor league right-hander Zack Thornton and a player to be named to New York for the 27-year-old Davis. The Mets announced the deal just minutes before a 6-0 loss to Atlanta. Davis was on the field during batting practice earlier in the day. The Pirates had searched all winter for a first baseman, without success in the trade and free-agent markets. "Ultimately, we found the right fit," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "Hopefully this is a move that solves our first base needs for years to come," he said. The lefty-swinging Davis hit 32 homers for the Mets in 2012, but fell off sharply last year. "Obviously, I didnt play as well as I should have," he said. Davis was hitting .208 with one home run and five RBIs in 24 at-bats. He lost his starting job to Lucas Duda and was relegated to a part-time role with the Mets, who also have Josh Satin at first base. "You cant play a major league season with three first basemen, so one of us had to go," Davis said outside the Mets clubhouse after the game started. "Obviously its an emotional time, but we arent there bawling our eyes out," he said. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the team decided several months ago to trade Davis. "We are happy for Ike and it was a situation we needed to resolve," Alderson said. "I would not say that we lost patience with Ike. At some point you have to make a decision about players on the roster, so we simply had to make a choice." Said Mets star David Wright: "It happened late so I dont think a lot of guys knew, but Ike will be missed. Through thick and thin, Ike was the best teammate Ive ever had." The Mets filled Davis roster spot by activating outfielder Chris Young from the 15-day disabled list. He started in centre field. "Happy to be back," Young said before the game. "Seems like its been forever, for some reason." Young had been out with an injured right quadriceps. He played one inning in the field for the Mets during the opening week and was pulled before he came to bat. Davis, the son of former big league pitcher Ron Davis, was a promising prospect when he hit 19 homers with 71 RBIs while batting .264 as a rookie in 2010. He got off to a strong start the following year, hitting .302 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 36 games, but missed most of the season with an ankle injury. Still, he seemed primed for a fine career. Davis power numbers peaked in 2012 -- he was tied for fifth in the NL homer race -- even while he hit just .227. But he got off to a second consecutive miserable start last year and was demoted to the minors for nearly a month. He batted .205 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs, missing the final month with a side strain. "Obviously, its a little weird. Ive been with the Mets for a long time. Ive got really good friends here," Davis said. "Ive had a blast in New York. Its where I made my childhood dreams come true." As for joining the Pirates a year after they ended a long playoff drought, "in different scenery it will be better," Davis said. Since no cash was involved, the Mets save $3,117,486 of Davis $3.5 million salary. The Pirates didnt bring back first baseman Garrett Jones after the season and went searching for a lefty-hitting complement to Gaby Sanchez. But no major moves developed and the Pirates went into spring training with only prospect Andrew Lambo and non-roster invitee Travis Ishikawa at the position. Lambo didnt hit much in exhibition play and Ishikawa got off to a quick start during the regular season before dipping. Manager Clint Hurdle has reverted back to playing Sanchez -- a player who has drastic right/left splits -- against righties. "Ikes done a really nice job against right-handed pitchers in his career. Hes had two big seasons and two injury-plagued seasons and were betting that our guys can get him back on the right track. Were betting that he was a better fit in this ballpark than he was in what used to be spacious Citi Field," Huntington said. Young went 8 for 12 with two homers in a three-game rehabilitation stint at Triple-A Las Vegas. Young hit 27 homers with 91 RBIs and 28 steals for Arizona in 2010. He hasnt been able to duplicate those numbers since then. The 25-year-old Thornton was 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four relief appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis. He will report to Las Vegas. Virgil van Dijk Jersey . Fans holding laudatory signs started showing up at Yankee Stadium when the gates opened at 4 p.m. Monday, an hour early in order to give them a chance to watch the New York captain take batting practice. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool Jersey . -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett thinks of one thing when he watches Eastern Conference teams struggle against Western opponents before they get to Phoenix: His team must keep pace. http://www.liverpoolgear.us/Authentic-Mo...verpool-Jersey/. Down 2-1 after Rick Nash scored on a penalty shot, the Oilers ran off four unanswered goals in the remainder of the second period on the way to a 6-3 victory on Sunday. Jordan Henderson Liverpool Jersey . -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night. Loris Karius Jersey .Y. - Matt Harvey wants to make sure hes on the mound in late October — if the New York Mets get there for the first time since 2006.TORONTO – Its been a bad week for a good bullpen. Starter Drew Hutchison left after six innings with a 3-2 lead, only to watch as three Blue Jays relievers collapsed in the seventh, leading to five Baltimore runs. The Orioles wouldnt look back; in fact they would tack on, winning the game 11-4 and the series, two out of three. It was Brett Cecils turn on Thursday night. Having not allowed a run in eight-and-two-thirds innings of work this season, Cecil entered with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. He walked Nick Markakis and, after a double steal, intentionally walked Nelson Cruz. Chris Davis slapped a two-run single to left field to give Baltimore the lead. After an Adam Jones RBI double, Cecils night was over. In the end, he faced four hitters, each of whom reached base and each of whom scored. “I didnt feel like I had a good feel for anything,” said Cecil. “I was pulling my cutters and curveballs were up. Not as sharp. I thought I made a good pitch to Davis, hit the glove, hit it where (Dioner Navarro) had it and it was two or three inches off the plate. Terrible swing, but he did exactly what he was supposed to with the shift on, just a soft ground ball.” A week ago Thursday in Minneapolis, Steve Delabar, Sergio Santos and J.A. Happ cratered in the eighth inning, walking a historic eight hitters while allowing six runs on just one hit and three wild pitches. The ordeal turned a 5-3 Toronto lead into a 9-5 deficit. Aaron Loup walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning of Sundays game in Cleveland. A David Murphy bases-clearing double later and the Jays 4-2 lead was erased. The Indians didnt look back in a 6-4 victory. On Wednesday, Todd Redmond was rocked trying to protect a 6-3 lead in the fifth. In Redmonds defence, he inherited a bases loaded, none out situation against the top of the Orioles lineup. Baltimore scored six times, total, in the inning and won the game 10-8. The bullpens overall numbers arent pretty in the last seven games: 23 2/3 innings pitched, 22 earned runs, 23 hits and 24 walks. Manager John Gibbons isnt panicking. “I dont think it snowballs, at least it hasnt yet,” he said. “There are going to be some blips every now and then. I still think our bullpen stacks up as good as anybody out there. We have some key go-to guys. We had a chance to close it down there, at least get out of that inning, Davis snuck that ball through. But, no, Im not really worried about the bullpen.” Theres already chatter, less than a month into the season, about whether the bullpen is fraying under the weight of the demand on its arms. Blue Jays starters dont get deep into games often enough. Factor in Toronto relievers threw 552 2/3 innings last season, third most in baseball, and at some point, fatigue will become a problem. “I believe in that,” said Gibbons. “Over time you look at it, a lot of times its year to year. Guys that have good years and theyre used a lot one year, its usually somewhat of an off year the next year and then they bounce back. Thats kind of, just generally, the way baseball goes. Bullpens get used a lot, I dont care whether youre good or bad, in this day and age, its just baseball because its mainly a lot of one-inning guys nowadays, specialists, so they get used a lot, but thats just the way it goes. You have to be durable down there and you have to take your slumps down there sometimes. But it can definitely catch up with you, but its too early in the season to think that has anything to do with it.” One reason for optimism: its been a different guy getting beat each night. Delabar and Santos in Minneapolis, Loup against the Indians, Redmond one night against Baltimore and Cecil the next. The collective result has been abysmal of late but the individual issues have been one offs. The Jays had better hope these are, in fact, one-offs. Otherwise, a trends begun which threatens a relatively hopeful start to the year. GIBBONS CONSIDERS SIX-MAN ROTATION Drew Hutchisons six innings of work on Thursday night marked just the 10th time in 22 games a Blue Jays starter went that long. The starting rotations troubling early trend, combined with this weeks post-game admissions by R.A. Dickey and Dustin McGowan to feeling fatigue by the fifth or sixth inning, has manager John Gibbons considering his options with the schedule about to get busy. Afteer Mondays off day, before a three-game series in Kansas City, Toronto will have only one off until June 2.dddddddddddd A six-man rotation could be implemented. “Weve even talked about because May, its jammed up, creating our own off day, maybe just spot-starting someone in there; maybe Happ or something,” said Gibbons. The first date a sixth man would be used is the Sunday, May 3 finale of a three-game series in Pittsburgh. J.A. Happ isnt the only option. Marcus Stroman, who along with Aaron Sanchez is the organizations top pitching prospect, is off to a fine start for Triple-A Buffalo. In three starts hes posted a 2.18 ERA and 26 strikeouts against six walks in 20 2/3 innings. Stromans hit total is high, hes allowed 22, but most of those runners arent scoring. Gibbons mused that a six-man rotation could be implemented on multiple occasions leading up to the All-Star Break. This is a reaction to Wednesdays comments by McGowan, who admitted publicly to feeling fatigued in the fifth inning when, with a 6-3 lead, he walked Ryan Flaherty, gave up a single to Jonathan Schoop and hit David Lough with a pitch. McGowan was lifted for Todd Redmond, who promptly coughed up the lead. McGowan hadnt complained about fatigue to Gibbons or anyone else. His comments to the assembled media were the first the manager had heard about it, which led to a conversation between the two in Gibbonss office on Thursday. “I was curious what he had to say,” said manager John Gibbons. “He says he feels great. I guess he just answered questions or something (Wednesday) night brutally honest. Hell make his next start and well see what happens. “The thing is, I think his stamina is fine,” continued Gibbons. “He said he ran out of gas, but if you leave him in there, I guarantee you he can throw 90 to 100 pitches. Its just do you leave him in there or not. Thats my decision.” The Blue Jays continue to monitor McGowan and Brandon Morrow closely. While their respective situations are different, both have extensive injury histories. McGowan insists his arm is okay, which offers hope that his fatigue may subside if his body can adjust to the rigours of pitching every fifth day. Remember, a stomach virus shortened McGowans spring. Whats more, he hasnt been a regular starting pitcher in six years. “Weve told him, if somethings bothering you, it doesnt feel right in your arm simply because of what youve been through, let us know and hes guaranteed hell let us know,” said Gibbons. “But I think, (Wednesday) night, he was just brutally honest with you. And I kind of like that.” GIBBONS TALKS PINEDA AND PINE TAR Blue Jays manager John Gibbons believes his Red Sox counterpart, John Farrell, had no choice but to ask the umpires to check Yankees starter Michael Pineda for an illegal substance in the game between Boston and New York on Wednesday night. “You almost had to,” said Gibbons. “If you dont ask, everybodys looking at you. Youd catch heat for that.” Pineda was found with pine tar on the right side of his neck. He was ejected and on Thursday he was given a 10-game suspension. Gibbons asked the umpires to check the inside of Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalezs glove in the fifth inning of Tuesday nights game. They found nothing. “Well, you want to make sure if you do it, youre right and we werent right,” said Gibbons. “So were 0-4 with appeals and 0-1 on checking on the pitcher. Its got to get better, doesnt it?” Its generally accepted that pitchers use foreign substances, typically sprays, to improve their grip on the baseball. Gibbons believes the Pineda incident, especially considering the same substance was thought to be on his hand in a start earlier this season, is different. “I still have a hard time believing pine tar (is) not making the ball do something,” said Gibbons. “Its for your grip but its a heavier substance, so its something thats going to affect, if the wind hits that thing, its got to do something.” FRIENDLY TRAFFIC REMINDER If youre coming to Rogers Centre this weekend to see the Blue Jays take on the Red Sox, keep in mind the Gardiner Expressway closes for spring maintenance at 10 oclock Friday night. It doesnt reopen until 12-noon on Sunday. 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