NEW YORK --
FIRST PITCH: Make it a 4½-game lead atop the National League East for the New York Mets.
With the Washington Nationals (58-56) in a freefall that has left them only two games over .500, the Amazin’s have matched their largest division lead of the season. They also were up by that amount in April, while racing to a 13-3 start to the season.
This weekend should prove a challenge for the Mets, though, as the Pittsburgh Pirates visit Citi Field.
Bartolo Colon (10-11, 4.76 ERA) opposes left-hander J.A. Happ (0-1, 8.31) in Friday’s 7:10 p.m. ET series opener.
Read the Mets-Pirates series preview here.
FRIDAY’S NEWS REPORTS:
Noah Syndergaard allowed a pair of solo homers in the first inning, but the Mets quickly answered en route to a 12-3 win against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. Kelly Johnson finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs as the Mets completed a four-game sweep. Syndergaard ultimately limited Colorado to three runs in seven innings. He relied too much on his fastball in the first inning, according to manager Terry Collins. “We discussed it,” Collins said. “It was 12 pitches, 10 fastballs the first inning. Two of them were hit out of the ballpark. All of a sudden later in the game you started seeing first-pitch breaking balls for strikes, changeups for strikes, and he got them off the fastball a little bit. He made the adjustments he needed to make and pitched very well after that.” Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Times, Journal, Newsday, Record and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Lucas Duda remained sidelined for a third straight game Thursday with an ailing back, although the first baseman said he expected to return to the lineup Friday. Duda began being treated with medication late Wednesday, according to Collins. Read more in Newsday.
Recently acquired Rockie Jose Reyes tells columnist Steve Politi at NJ.com that the Mets can win the World Series. "No question, they can," Reyes said. "With the way they're pitching? You see the pitching staff they have, they're unbelievable. They're very good, man. They're very good. If they can find a way to score three or four [runs] a game, they'll be very dangerous."
David Wright struck out looking in his lone at-bat on Thursday with Class A St. Lucie before the game was suspended due to rain in the bottom of the first at Jupiter. Kirk Nieuwenhuis began a rehab assignment in the same game. Nieuwenhuis walked before play was halted. Wright now has eight plate appearances (seven at-bats) since beginning his rehab assignment. He figures he will need about 20 more plate appearances. Wright may return for next weekend’s series at Colorado, the Daily News reports. Read more in Newsday.
It seems quite obvious at this point that Collins will be back managing the Mets in 2016, even if his current contract expires after this season. Collins tells Steven Marcus in Newsday he is unconcerned. “I think about playing golf in November,” Collins said. “That's the only thing on my mind right now."
Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez says Jacob deGrom is “the best pitcher in the game.” That is high praise considering CarGo plays in the same division with Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner.
What a difference two weeks make, columnists Mike Vaccaro in the Post and David Lennon in Newsday write.
Travis d'Arnaud took responsibility for Syndergaard’s first-inning struggles, suggesting he called too many fastballs. Read more on Syndergaard’s outing from columnist Bob Klapisch in the Record, columnist John Harper in the Daily News as well as in the Post, Newsday and at MLB.com.
Read more on Johnson’s performance in the Post and at MLB.com.
Zack Thornton suffered a blown save as El Paso beat Las Vegas, 5-4. Vince Belnome, Jonathan Galvez and L.J. Mazzilli had consecutive run-scoring singles in the eighth to rally Binghamton past Altoona, 5-4. Eudor Garcia had a two-run double in the first inning and Savannah went on to win its 10th straight game, 9-4 against Rome. Patrick Mazeika had a two-run homer as Kingsport beat Johnson City, 8-2. Kevin Canelon struck out 11 in seven innings, but Brooklyn lost to State College, 2-0. Read the full minor league recap here.
Las Vegas catcher Johnny Monell and a garbage-can cover are featured in this humorous video.
Writer and humorist Rob Taub at the Huffington Post weighs in on being a Mets fan.
From the bloggers … Mets Report suggests team officials need to be smart with Duda’s back injury. … Kings of Queens looks at how the Mets became Amazin’ of late.
BIRTHDAYS: Eric Cammack and McKay Christensen turn 40.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
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— Justin (@ChefJustln) August 14, 2015YOU’RE UP: Will the Mets win the series against the Pirates?
