PITTSBURGH — Eventually a starting pitcher was going to throw a clunker, forcing the Mets to find another way to win a game.

That test arrived Friday night, and the Mets flopped. Steven Matz was knocked out in the fourth inning — snapping the team’s string of excellent starting-pitching performances — and the Mets’ lineup and bullpen went flat in an 8-4 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park that ended their seven-game winning streak.

The Mets (53-56) had enjoyed success as their starting pitchers went 7-1 with a 1.47 ERA over the previous 12 games, and Matz started on that course over three innings before getting flattened in the fourth, when the Pirates scored five runs.

Tyler Bashlor flushed the Mets’ chances of a comeback victory by surrendering a three-run homer to Starling Marte in the seventh that gave the Pirates an 8-4 lead. Bashlor allowed two singles in the inning before Marte cleared the left-field fence for his 19th homer of the season.

Shortstop Kevin Newman’s error in the seventh on Robinson Cano’s pop-up to shallow center allowed Michael Conforto to score, bringing the Mets within 5-4. But Newman’s backhanded stop on Wilson Ramos’ grounder and throw-out prevented the tying run from scoring.

Matz extended his scoreless innings streak to 14 and then failed to survive the fourth, as the Pirates batted around and took a 5-3 lead.

Melky Cabrera delivered the biggest hit in the inning, a two-run double that bounced off the top of the center-field fence and put the Pirates ahead for the first time. Elias Diaz’s two-out RBI single brought home the inning’s final run. Overall, Matz lasted 3 ²/₃ innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Matz walked Bryan Reynolds to begin the fourth inning before allowing singles to Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Jose Osuna that sliced the Mets’ lead to 3-2. Cabrera’s go-ahead double followed.

The Mets had jumped on Trevor Williams for two runs in the first inning. After Jeff McNeil doubled on the game’s first pitch, Pete Alonso smashed an RBI double and Ramos’ ground out later in the inning drove in a second run.

J.D. Davis delivered a run-scoring double in the third after Alonso had walked to begin the inning and Cano singled for his second hit of the game.

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