Mets continue to own Rockies - extend streak to 5
The New York Mets made it five in a row behind seven strong innings of shutout ball from Johan Santana in the first half of a day-night doubleheader at Shea Stadium Citi Field on Thursday.
The Mets scored five runs in the 2nd inning before adding insurance runs in the 5th and 7th innings to extend their unbeaten streak and temporarily reduce the gap in the wildcard race to 5.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants.
The Mets knocked Rockies starting pitcher Jason Hammel out of the game after just 1.1 innings of work, sending nine men to the plate and stringing together five consecutive hits - six in total - to give Johan more than enough support to improve to 12-8 on the year.
Daniel Murphy led off the bottom of the 2nd with a line drive to right field, Jeff Francoeur hacked the first pitch he saw into right and Cory Sullivan gave the Mets a 1-0 lead, lining a 1-0 fastball into centre field for an RBI single.
Omir Santos made it 2-0 with a single up the middle and Angel Berroa added a pair with an RBI double to Dexter Fowler who couldn't come up with the ball.
After Johan struck out swinging, Angel Pagan scored Berroa on the sixth hit of the inning - a single to right field.
The 5-0 cushion was all the Mets pitching staff needed.
Such was Johan's dominance that he only allowed five baserunnres all afternoon, walking one and striking out eight over 104 dominant pitches.
He improved his record at Citi Field to 8-2, dropping his home ERA to 1.71.
Bobby Parnell pitched the 8th inning for the Mets, with Tim Redding working around a one-out walk to close the door in the 9th.
The Mets will aim to complete the sweep in the nightcap against the Rockies. Should they do so, it will be their first six-game winning streak since they swept the Braves (2), Phillies (2) and Pirates (3) in the first week of May.
With Luis Castillo with his wife for the birth of their child, Alex Cora made his first start at 2B since June 21, with Angel Berroa deputizing at shortstop.
Each of the Mets' position players got at least one base hit, with Pagan, Cora and Sullivan each going 2-for-4.
The Mets scored five runs in the 2nd inning before adding insurance runs in the 5th and 7th innings to extend their unbeaten streak and temporarily reduce the gap in the wildcard race to 5.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants.
The Mets knocked Rockies starting pitcher Jason Hammel out of the game after just 1.1 innings of work, sending nine men to the plate and stringing together five consecutive hits - six in total - to give Johan more than enough support to improve to 12-8 on the year.
Daniel Murphy led off the bottom of the 2nd with a line drive to right field, Jeff Francoeur hacked the first pitch he saw into right and Cory Sullivan gave the Mets a 1-0 lead, lining a 1-0 fastball into centre field for an RBI single.
Omir Santos made it 2-0 with a single up the middle and Angel Berroa added a pair with an RBI double to Dexter Fowler who couldn't come up with the ball.
After Johan struck out swinging, Angel Pagan scored Berroa on the sixth hit of the inning - a single to right field.
The 5-0 cushion was all the Mets pitching staff needed.
Such was Johan's dominance that he only allowed five baserunnres all afternoon, walking one and striking out eight over 104 dominant pitches.
He improved his record at Citi Field to 8-2, dropping his home ERA to 1.71.
Bobby Parnell pitched the 8th inning for the Mets, with Tim Redding working around a one-out walk to close the door in the 9th.
The Mets will aim to complete the sweep in the nightcap against the Rockies. Should they do so, it will be their first six-game winning streak since they swept the Braves (2), Phillies (2) and Pirates (3) in the first week of May.
With Luis Castillo with his wife for the birth of their child, Alex Cora made his first start at 2B since June 21, with Angel Berroa deputizing at shortstop.
Each of the Mets' position players got at least one base hit, with Pagan, Cora and Sullivan each going 2-for-4.
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