NEW YORK – No need to panic!
A day after getting held hitless into the seventh inning by Jameson Taillon, the New York Mets produced an 11-run, 19-hit barrage on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates to snap a three-game losing streak.
Now, Bartolo Colon looks to lead the Mets to a victory in the rubber game.
Colon (5-3, 3.08 ERA) opposes right-hander Juan Nicasio (5-5, 5.34) on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field.
Before the game, New York Jets first-round pick Darron Lee and New York Giants first-round pick Eli Apple -- both of Ohio State -- will throw ceremonial first pitches.
THURSDAY’S NEWS REPORTS:
Bidding for his first career complete game, Noah Syndergaard took a shutout bid into the ninth inning before stumbling. Syndergaard departed with one out in the frame and the Mets went on to an 11-2 win against the Pirates on Wednesday. Wilmer Flores homered and finished with four RBIs. Kelly Johnson and Matt Reynolds drove in two runs apiece. Hitting coach Kevin Long had met with players before the game and implored them to use the whole field. The 19 hits that resulted established a season high. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Times, Record, Newsday and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Juan Lagares was scratched from Wednesday’s game when the partially torn ligament in his left thumb acted up pregame and would not allow him to close his hand in his glove. Lagares is due to visit with team doctors on Thursday. Surgery may be back on the table as an option. Read more in the Post and Newsday.
Neil Walker told Mets manager Terry Collins that he should be able to return to the lineup Thursday. Walker has been sidelined since Saturday with lower-back tightness.
Yoenis Cespedes is comfortably in the top three in voting among National League outfielders and remains on track to start the July 12 All-Star Game in San Diego.
Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post chats with Cespedes about former Cuban teammate Yulieski Gourriel, who was declared a free agent by MLB this week. “At the time that I left that was the best ballplayer in Cuba,” Cespedes told Kernan through an interpreter. “He is a five-tool player. When I was in Cuba we were best friends. … All I know is that when I heard [Hector] Olivera was getting $62 million, my first thought was Yulieski is worth way more than that. I don’t know what team is going to pay what he is worth.”
Travis d'Arnaud went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and walk and caught a full game for Class A St. Lucie on Wednesday. D’Arnaud’s rehab assignment should soon move to Triple-A Las Vegas. Sandy Alderson has indicated that d’Arnaud should be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday.
Rafael Montero allowed nine runs (seven earned) in 3 2/3 innings for Las Vegas. Dominic Smith’s two-run single on his 21st birthday accounted for Binghamton’s only offense in a 4-2 loss at Richmond. Corey Oswalt tossed eight scoreless innings and St. Lucie held on for a 2-1 win at Tampa. Jeff Diehl drove in the tiebreaking run in the bottom of the eighth in Columbia’s 4-3 win against Rome. Read the full minor-league recap here.
The Mets are not interested in bringing Jose Reyes back to his original organization, ESPN.com has learned. Columnist Anthony Rieber in Newsday looks the crossroads both Reyes and David Wright are at in their careers. Read more on Reyes in the Journal.
Gary Cohen and Howie Rose discuss how they became Mets fans with Matt Schneidman in the Post.
From the bloggers … Mets Report weighs in on Wright’s surgery decision.
BIRTHDAYS: Calvin Schiraldi turns 54.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
— Starling marte (@Starlingmart) June 16, 2016
YOU’RE UP: Are the Mets’ offensive woes behind them?
