Carlos Torres Great in Emergency Start, Mets Lose

Usually when a reliever has to make an emergency start it is either a disaster or a brilliant performance. The Mets got the latter Monday afternoon from Carlos Torres after Bartolo Colon had to fly to the Dominican Republic to tend to his ill mother. But once again the Mets offense could not hit their way out of a paper bag and they lost to the Cubs.

The game was scoreless until the fourth when Lucas Duda hit his 22nd home run of the year. The solo shot put the Mets up 1-0. He is fifth in the National League in homers.

Carlos Torres made it through five shutout innings and 86 pitches, allowing just three hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Pretty darned good considering he pitched in relief on Sunday.

But Torres got a no-decision because Dana Eveland was much less impressive. He came on for the sixth and gave up a leadoff double to Anthony Rizzo. Luis Valbuena brought him home with a one-out single to tie the game at one. That was all for Eveland, who was replaced by Buddy Carlyle.

Rizzo struck again in the eighth, this time with a solo home run with one out in the eighth off of Carlyle to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead. After allowing a walk and a single Carlyle was removed in favor of Vic Black. He got the second out but then he walked a batter to load the bases. He was able to get a ground out to end the inning.

Javier Baez smashed a two-run homer into the second deck in left field off of Jenrry Mejia in the ninth to extend the Cubs lead to 4-1.

That was the final score. The Mets only had four hits — the fifth straight game they managed only four hits or fewer. Just unbelievable.