NEW YORK -- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle had good reason to call upon Gaby Sanchez to bat for Ike Davis. Sanchez tagged the Mets again, delivering a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning and a tiebreaking single in the ninth that rallied Pittsburgh over New York 5-3 on Monday. Sanchez has a .324 average with nine homers and 34 RBIs vs. New York, matching or topping his bests against any NL team. He lost playing time after Davis was acquired in a trade with the Mets in mid-April. "Ikes a good player and hes been swinging the bat really well. Hes been one of the hottest bats on the team. So, hes going to play and I understand that," Sanchez said about Davis, who was making his return to Citi Field. "My role is to keep that going whenever I get my chance, keep that going and help the team win." The Mets announced after their ninth loss in 12 games that they had fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens. New York also cut reliever Jose Valverde soon after he gave up Sanchezs go-ahead hit. Valverde (1-1) was booed off the field after allowing pinch-hitter Jose Tabatas tying single in the eighth. Valverde returned for the ninth and was even worse, yielding four runs overall. "Dont think for one second that theres not a guy in there that realizes that this is part of it. We just released one of the best professionals I ever been around in Jose Valverde," a fired-up Collins said. "You deal with it, and if you cant you dont belong in the game." Mets minor league hitting co-ordinator Lamar Johnson will take Hudgens place. Right-hander Vic Black is being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill Valverdes spot. With one out in the ninth, Valverde gave up a single to Neil Walker and walked Andrew McCutchen. Sanchez fouled off a fastball, losing hold of the bat, which spun toward the Pirates dugout and hit a batboy in the legs. The batboy smiled and on-deck hitter Russell Martin checked to see if he was OK. Sanchez then singled to left, scoring Walker. Juan Centeno couldnt handle Curtis Grandersons throw that bounced to the right of the plate and skittered past Valverde, who was backing up but way too close to the catcher. McCutchen scored on Grandersons error for a two-run lead. Martin added an RBI double for Pittsburgh, which rebounded from a loss to Washington on Sunday after a season-high four straight wins. "This mentality in the dugout is, This is the inning. Even if we get pushed down, the next inning well make something," Hurdle said. "Youve got to be relentless. You cant get sad." Tony Watson (5-0) pitched an inning for the win. Mark Melancon got his 10th save. Davis drew a warm reception from the Memorial Day crowd of 29,309, opposite of what he predicted during a pregame chat in the visitors dugout. Popular with fans in his four-plus seasons, he went 0 for 2 with a walk. Slumping Lucas Duda homered off Melancon to start the ninth. The homer was the first off Melancon in 86 innings, since April 14, 2013. New York took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on Daniel Murphys single, Pittsburghs third error of the game and a favourable review under the new home plate collision rule. But the Mets bullpen wasted a fine start by Jacob deGrom. The 25-year-old deGrom pitched 6 2-3 scoreless innings in his third career start, allowing five hits. He laboured early but settled in to throw 122 pitches. Brandon Cumpton was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take the place of Wandy Rodriguez, who was designated for assignment Thursday, and matched deGrom into the fifth. With the help of an umpires review, New York took the lead. The Mets two-out rally was started by -- who else? -- deGrom. He lined a single to left field for his second hit of the day and advanced when Juan Lagares walked. A college shortstop, deGrom is now 4 for 5 as a big league batter. "I guess Ive been seeing the ball pretty well," deGrom said. Murphy lined a single to right field and deGrom scored easily. Josh Harrisons throw to third skipped passed third baseman Pedro Alvarez and Lagares scampered home. The ball took a good bounce back to Alvarez off the protective fence in front of the Pirates dugout and he made a quick throw home. Martin set up to the left of home plate but stuck his leg out, blocking Lagares path before the ball arrived. Umpire Laz Diaz initially called Lagares out, but Colliins asked crew chief Jeff Nelson to review the play under new rule 7.13, covering collisions at the plate. After a delay of 3 minutes, 4 seconds, Lagares was called safe and Murphy was awarded second base on the play home. "Weve encouraged our guys to play the game, do what you feel athletically moved to do knowing what the options are," Hurdle said. NOTES: The Mets placed OF Eric Young Jr. on the DL because of a right hamstring strain. They recalled OF Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his place. ... The Pirates designated RHP Vin Mazzaro for assignment to make room for Cumpton. ... Up Next: Pirates RHP Edinson Volquez (2-4) faces Mets LHP Jonathon Niese (3-3) on Tuesday night. Easton Stick Youth Jersey . As future stars prepare to make the big leap to the professional ranks, TSNs Draft Week delivers wall-to-wall coverage of both the NHL and NBA Entry Drafts, highlighted by exclusive live coverage of both events. Drue Tranquill Youth Jersey . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on. http://www.prochargersteamstore.com/Yout...w-Elite-Jersey/. With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Easton Stick Chargers Jersey .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. Joey Bosa Chargers Jersey ." The tournament was set to be held Sept. 15-21 and would have been the first ATP tournament held in Israel since 1996. But amid Israels military campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, ATP President Chris Kermode said "we do not feel we can proceed as planned given the situation in the region.PITTSBURGH -- Ike Davis made his first home run with the Pittsburgh Pirates a memorable one. Davis became the first player to hit grand slams for different teams in the same April, and Neil Walker had a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Pirates twice overcame deficits to beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 Monday night. Pittsburgh trailed 2-0 before Davis fourth-inning homer off Mike Leake. Davis hit a game-winning, ninth-inning slam off the Reds J.J. Hoover on April 5 for the New York Mets, who traded him to the Pirates on Friday. According to STATS, no player previously hit slams for different teams in the same April. Davis became just the third to hit slams for different teams against the same opponent in the same year, following Ray Boone in 1953 and Mike Piazza in 1998. "We knew thats what he was capable of doing when we traded for him," Walker said. "As a left-handed hitter in this ballpark, I can envision him hitting more balls over that Clemente Wall in right field. This is just the start." Leake said he made a good pitch and gave credit to Davis, his former college teammate at Arizona State. "I broke his bat and he still hit it out," Leake said. "Thats how strong he is." With nobody out, Davis was just trying not to kill a rally rather than trying to hit a grand slam. "I wanted something up because I know Mike has a good changeup and sinker so I didnt want to ground into a double play," Davis said. "I was just looking for something I could hit into the outfield, either get a sac fly, base hit or, hopefully if I hit it good enough, a homer. I was just trying to get the ball in the air." The Pirates were behind 5-4 before Andrew McCutchens leadoff homer in the eighth against Manny Parra. Walker got the winning hit off Hoover (1-2) after consecutive one-out walks to Russell Martin and Andrew&nbbsp;McCutchen followed by Pedro Alvarezs popout.dddddddddddd. "Its totally on me," Hoover said of the loss. "I hung a curveball on 1-2 count to Walker when I was trying to bury it in the dirt and I left it up a little bit where he could handle it. And you cant walk guys and expect to have good results." Jared Hughes (1-0) pitched a scoreless, two-hit ninth for the win after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day. "Im in Indianapolis yesterday and in Pittsburgh today getting a win," Hughes said. "Thats pretty cool." Cincinnati had taken a 5-4 lead in the eighth when Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier singled off Francisco Liriano, Jay Bruce hit an RBI double against Justin Wilson and, after an intentional walk to Ryan Ludwick, Devin Mesoraco hit a run-scoring single. McCutchen and Walker each had three hits for the Pirates, while Mesoraco, Phillps and Frazier had three hits each for Cincinnati. Mesoraco has a hit in all 10 games hes played this season and is batting 541. Liriano gave up five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits in seven-plus innings. Leake allowed eight hits in seven innings. NOTES: Boone, playing for Cleveland and Detroit, hit slams against the St. Louis Browns in 1953. Piazza, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, hit slams against Arizona. ... Pirates LHP Wandy Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day DL with right knee tendinitis, opening a roster spot for Hughes. ... Reds LHP Aroldis Chapman is tentatively scheduled to throw batting practice Wednesday, the first time he will face hitters since sustaining facial fractures March 19 when he was hit by a line drive during a spring training game. The closer had a 45-pitch bullpen session Sunday. . Cincinnati RHP Johnny Cueto (1-2, 1.50) faces Pittsburgh RHP Edinson Volquez (1-0, 1.71) on Tuesday night. ' ' '