Colon breaks mark held by Cy Young, Warren Spahn as Mets roll
Bartolo Colon is hardly feeling his age these days, particularly after pitching so many consecutive scoreless innings.
"I'm really proud and surprised myself because I didn't know, at this stage of my career, that I could still do that kind of stuff," he said. "So I'm really proud, but more than that, I'm helping the team."
Colon's scoreless streak ended at 31 innings while he won his fourth straight start, pitching the streaking New York Mets past the reeling Atlanta Braves 7-2 on Thursday night.
Kevin Plawecki and Juan Uribe each drove in three runs for New York, which has won four in a row to increase its NL East lead to 7 1/2 games over Washington.
In a game that started 2 hours, 20 minutes late because of rain, Colon (14-11) allowed seven hits, two runs, one walk and struck out two in 6 2/3 innings.
The 42-year-old Colon, who added an RBI single in the fourth, led 4-0 before Jace Peterson's RBI triple and Andrelton Simmons' single in the seventh.
Atlanta, which has lost 21 of 24 overall, dropped its ninth straight at home to match the franchise's longest single-season skid and worst since the 1988 team started 0-9 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
The Mets' record for consecutive scoreless innings is 32 2/3, set by R.A. Dickey in 2012. Jerry Koosman, in 1973, went 31 2/3 scoreless innings, and Colon tied Dwight Gooden, who went 31 innings in 1984, for third place on the franchise list.
Colon outpitched All-Star Shelby Miller (5-14), whose winless streak reached 21 straight starts -- longest by Braves pitcher since Carl Morton went a franchise-record 22 without a victory from Sept. 10, 1975-July 18, 1976.
The Mets went up 3-0 in the fourth on Plawecki's two-run double and Colon's single. Uribe added an RBI single to make it 4-0 in the seventh.
Plawecki had an RBI groundout for as New York took a 5-2 lead in the eighth. Uribe's two-run double put the Mets up 7-2 in the ninth.
Colon stranded two runners in the first, one in the second and one in the third before retiring nine straight batters.
Since receiving no decision in New York's 14-9 loss at Colorado on Aug. 21, Colon is 5-0 with four walks and 23 strikeouts in stretch of 31 2/3 innings that includes four starts and one relief appearance. He is 13-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 14 starts against NL East opponents this year.
"Now his command is as good as I've seen it in two years," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's why you look up and he keeps going deep into games."
Dario Alvarez pitched 1 1/3 innings before Addison Reed got the final three outs.
Miller, who allowed seven hits, three runs, two walks and struck out five in six innings, has now lost six games when giving up no more than one run. He began the night with a 2.81 ERA that ranked sixth in the NL and paltry run support -- 2.45 per nine innings -- that ranked worst in the majors.
Miller has dropped 13 straight decisions, tying Jim Acker from Sept. 29, 1987-Aug. 16, 1989, for the longest in team history.
"You would think so (that it's frustrating), but you have to keep going out there and grinding," Miller said.
Colon's streak is the longest by a pitcher 42 or older.
DEGROM PAUSE
Collins stopped short of saying RHP Jacob deGrom will skip a start, but added that mild fatigue has caused the 27-year-old All-Star to miss recently with his location. Collins said deGrom is struggling slightly with his release point.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Pitching coach Dan Warthen was admitted to an Atlanta hospital after experiencing an irregular heartbeat before the game. Warthen, 62, has been New York's pitching coach since June 2008. ... RHP Hansel Robles left the team to return to the Dominican Republic because of a family death.
Braves: Manager Fredi Gonzalez has yet to decide if RHP Mike Foltzynewicz (ribs) will work as a starter or a reliever when he's eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list next week.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP Steven Matz (2-0) will face Atlanta for the first time. He is the first pitcher in franchise history to record at least six strikeouts in each of his first three career starts.
Braves: RHP Matt Wisler (5-6), who beat the Mets 2-1 on June 19 in his major league debut, is 0-5 with an 8.91 ERA in his last seven starts.
