MLB

Colon Leads Mets Past Miami, 4-1, for 6th Win in a Row

Mets fans roared at Bartolo Colon's sacrifice fly and fine fielding play. They cheered Juan Lagares' diving catch. And they high-fived one another after the final out of another victory.

Indeed, as the song blaring throughout Citi Field reminded all celebrating, the team that's played second fiddle in the Big Apple to the Yankees for more than a decade is back in a "New York Groove."

Colon tied it with his second RBI in two starts, later pounced off the mound to protect a lead with his glove, and pitched the Mets past the Miami Marlins 4-1 Friday night for their sixth straight win.

"I just think everybody's caught up in it," manager Terry Collins said.

Colon (3-0) gave up Giancarlo Stanton's second homer of the series in the first inning, then allowed just five more hits through seven to win his third consecutive start.

Michael Cuddyer had a go-ahead single in the sixth for New York, Eric Campbell added a sacrifice fly and Juan Lagares made two nimble catches in center field on the night he collected his 2014 Gold Glove award. The Mets last won six in a row in April 2011.

Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

Stanton has homered in five straight games against the Mets dating to last season, matching the team mark for an opponent shared by Hank Aaron and Ryan Howard.

"Yeah, it's great," Stanton said sarcastically. "We are still doing terrible."

Making a start in place of injured right-hander Henderson Alvarez just four days after the birth of his son and making his regular bullpen session at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, David Phelps held the Mets hitless until Wilmer Flores singled with one out in the fourth.

Phelps walked two around that single to load the bases for Colon, who had his first RBI in a decade in his previous start.

Colon hit a line drive to center field to make it 1-all to the delight of the 38,753 in attendance on Matt Harvey T-shirt night.

Colon, who went 2 for 62 at the plate last season without an RBI, has only one other season in which he drove in more than one run: 2002 when he had three for Montreal.

"I've been taking it more seriously and with more responsibility to hit because it's my second full year in the National League," Colon said through a translator.

Phelps was then lifted for Brad Hand (0-1) after throwing 75 pitches.

Stanton broke the Marlins' career homer record with his 155th on Thursday. His opposite-field drive cleared the new pulled-in fence in right-center at Citi Field.

Cuddyer hit an opposite-field RBI single in the sixth past diving first baseman Michael Morse, who was playing on the grass, with Lagares on first. Running on the full-count pitch, Lagares advanced to third. He scored on Campbell's fly off reliever Sam Dyson for a 3-1 lead.

Colon gave up singles to Martin Prado and Ichiro Suzuki in the seventh, the first time Miami had two runners on base. But Lagares made a diving catch, running in on J.T. Realmuto's sinking liner for the second out.

Adeiny Hechavarria then hit a chopper between the mound and third and Colon, portly and nearly 42, rushed off the mound, made a nice backhanded grab and throw to first. He clapped into his glove as he strolled off the mound.

"We are not giving ourselves a chance it feels like," Stanton said. "We have a positive vibe but the fire is not there, it seems like."

Lagares also made a long running catch on Christian Yelich's fly to left-center in the third.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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