PITTSBURGH -- Matt Harvey entered Saturday’s start with a career-high-matching 16-inning scoreless streak. He departed having suffered the worst performance of his major league career.

Harvey surrendered a career-high seven runs in a career-low four innings and the New York Mets lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 at PNC Park.

The Mets (24-20) have lost nine of their past 13 games.

Couple the swoon with Saturday’s news that David Wright’s back again is barking as he deals with spinal stenosis and it was a dark day for the organization.

Harvey’s previous career-high for runs allowed was five, against Arizona on July 3, 2013 and San Diego on Aug. 5, 2012.

Including the minors, he last surrendered seven runs on July 6, 2011, for Double-A Binghamton against Portland.

Saturday’s outing was the shortest of Harvey’s major league career by a full inning.

He allowed six hits and two walks in a 65-pitch effort. His ERA rose from 1.98 to 2.91.

Harvey (5-2) had departed his previous two outings with 1-0 leads, only to get no-decisions.

His 16-inning scoreless streak ended in the first inning when Andrew McCutchen blasted a two-run homer. Pedro Alvarez hit a leadoff homer in the second inning. A four-run fourth, which included opposing pitcher A.J. Burnett's sacrifice fly and Josh Harrison's two-run double, gave Pittsburgh a 7-1 lead.

Meanwhile, the offense was familiarly quiet. The Mets have failed to score more than two runs in eight of their past 12 games.

Cold Soup: Eric Campbell, currently manning third base in Wright’s absence, went 0-for-4 and is now hitless in his past 19 at-bats. After the Mets pulled within 3-1 in the fourth, Campbell grounded into an inning-ending double play with two aboard.

Campbell’s seventh-inning throwing error to first base also cost the Mets a run.

What’s next: The Mets will attempt to avoid getting swept by the Pirates for the first time since 2009. Jonathon Niese (3-4, 3.72 ERA) opposes left-hander Francisco Liriano (1-4, 4.15) in Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. ET series finale.