Bartolo Colon Flops, Mets Lose
After an incredible stretch in which he won six of his last seven starts while not allowing more than two earned runs in any game, Bartolo Colon came back to earth Sunday. The Pirates pounded him as the offense failed to get timely hits. Even though they made it interesting in the ninth, the Mets dropped their third game of the four-game series in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates jumped on Colon in the first inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Ike Davis singled to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. With two outs Pedro Alvarez doubled to make it 3-0.
The Mets had chances in the third and fourth innings, both times getting runners to third with one out. But they could not come up with the big hit, or even a productive out, to get the Mets on the board.
Alvarez connected on a long two-run home run into the seats in right to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Mets squandered another chance to score in the sixth. Lucas Duda and Eric Campbell singled to lead off the inning, but Juan Lagares lined out and Travis d’Arnaud grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The double play allowed Colon to stay in the game (a pinch hitter was on deck for him). Colon threw a one-two-three sixth and then he was done. Colon allowed five runs on seven hits, with two strikeouts and a walk. The loss dropped his record to 8-6. His ERA rose from 3.67 to 3.88. Still, a far cry from the 5.84 ERA Bartolo Colon was sporting before his streak began.
Eric Young hit a slow roller to second with one out in the seventh. The throw from Neil Walker got past Davis and Young made it all the way to third on the error. But it was the same old story — Ruben Tejada struck out and Daniel Murphy hit a soft liner to short to end the inning.
Lagares singled and d’Arnaud doubled to lead off the ninth to put runners on second and third with no outs. Chris Young grounded out on a great play by shortstop Clint Barmes to plate Lagares to make it a 5-1 game. Bobby Abreu lined out to right for the second out but Tejada singled to shallow right-center to score d’Arnaud. Closer Mark Melancon came; Murphy singled to put runners on first and third. Curtis Granderson came up as the potential tying run. Granderson flied out to right to end the game.
Mets lose 5-2.