PITTSBURGH -- The Mets had no shortage of baserunners (and ensuing towel-waving). Driving them in proved the problem.
The Amazin’s produced 13 hits, including at least one in each of the first seven innings, but remained scoreless until the ninth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates won, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. Bartolo Colon suffered his first defeat since May 12 at Yankee Stadium.
Bartolo Colon
#40 SP
New York Mets
2014 STATS
- GM16
W8
L6
BB15
K79
- ERA3.88
The Mets (37-45) lost three of four games in Pittsburgh.
Snapped: Ex-Met Ike Davis’ two-run single highlighted a three-run first inning by the Pirates against Colon. Pedro Alvarez’s two-run homer in the fourth upped the lead to 5-0.
Colon’s final line: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR.
Colon had been 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA in his past seven starts. He had not allowed more than two earned runs in any start during that span to match his longest career streak.
Nothing doing: Edinson Volquez held the Mets scoreless for six innings despite surrendering eight hits. The Mets had runners on the corners in the third inning, but Daniel Murphy struck out and Curtis Granderson flied out. They had two on and none out in the sixth, but Juan Lagares flied out and Travis d'Arnaud grounded into a double play.
After Volquez departed, Eric Young Jr. reached third base with one out in the seventh on an infield single and two-base error, but Ruben Tejada struck out and Murphy lined out.
Granderson, despite sending three balls to the outfield wall, finished the series 0-for-17.
What’s next: The Mets head to Atlanta for a three-game series. Zack Wheeler (3-8, 4.45 ERA) opposes left-hander Alex Wood (6-6, 3.07) in Monday’s 7:10 p.m. series opener at Turner Field. Wheeler is coming off a career-low two-inning start against Oakland. That was preceded by his first career complete game at Miami.