Mets 6, Indians 5
CLEVELAND -- The New York Mets hit four home runs, including three in the span of seven batters in a five-run fifth inning, to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Friday night at Progressive Field.
Michael Conforto, Alejandro De Aza, Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker all homered for the Mets, who came into the game with a major league-low two home runs.
The Mets blew open a 1-1 game with a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by the home runs by De Aza, Cespedes and Walker. The Mets had scored three runs or less in seven of their eight games this year, but on this night they gave plenty of support to 42-year-old Bartolo Colon (1-1), who pitched into the sixth inning to pick up career win No. 219.
The first of those career wins by Colon came with Cleveland. Colon broke into the majors with the Indians in 1997. He has pitched for nine major league teams in his 19-year career.
The loss went to Cleveland starter Cody Anderson (0-1), who in 4 2/3 innings gave up three of the Mets’ four home runs, nine hits overall, with five strikeouts and one walk. The Mets, who came into the game with a major league-low 49 hits, collected 14 hits off five Cleveland pitchers. Cespedes and De Aza each had three hits.
Cleveland made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning when Carlos Santana belted a two-out, two-run home run off Addison Reed to cut a 6-2 Mets lead to 6-4. Closer Jeurys Familia came into the game and gave up a single to Yan Gomes, who went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a bloop single by Marlon Byrd to cut it to 6-5.
Collin Cowgill pinch ran for Byrd, and he went to second when Juan Uribe walked on four pitches. Familia finally ended the game, and picked up his third save, by getting Jose Ramirez to fly out.
New York took an early lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Conforto off Anderson. Cleveland tied it in the bottom half when it looked initially like they'd scored three, but had to settle for one.
With one out, Jason Kipnis doubled and scored the tying run on a two-out single by Mike Napoli off Colon.
Santana -- the next hitter -- belted a towering fly ball that reached the seats near the right field foul pole. The ball was ruled a home run by first base umpire Dan Iassogna. However, Mets manager Terry Collins asked the umpires to review the call.
The umpires reviewed it, but only verbally amongst themselves. The call was reversed, and ruled a foul ball. Cleveland manager Terry Francona was given the option of having it video reviewed, but Francona declined. So instead of a 3-1 Cleveland lead, the score remained 1-1.
The Mets seemed to take a 2-1 lead in the second inning when Walker singled and appeared to score on a double by Asdrubal Cabrera. However, Francona challenged the call, and after a video review the call was reversed and Walker was declared out on a relay throw from Kipnis to catcher Yan Gomes.
The Mets hit three more home runs in the fifth inning, knocking Anderson out of the game. De Aza, leading off the inning, hit a 2-1 pitch over the wall in center field for his first home run to give New York a 2-1 lead.
Anderson retired the next two hitters, but Conforto reached base on an infield single and Cespedes hammered a home run over the center field wall to extend the lead to 4-1.
Following a single by Lucas Duda, Anderson was relieved by left-hander Ross Detwiler, but the left-handed hitting Walker blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it 6-1.
Anderson gave up five runs on nine hits, with five strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings.
The Indians got a run back in the fifth inning. Rajai Davis led off with a single and scored on a double by Kipnis to cut the New York lead to 6-2.
NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley (shoulder surgery) will make a rehab appearance with Double-A Akron on Saturday. ... Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall (left wrist impingement) made a rehab appearance at Akron on Friday night and is scheduled to play again with Akron on Saturday. ... Mets RHP Jacob deGrom, who has been bothered by a sore muscle on his right side, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He will throw another bullpen on Sunday and a decision will then be made on whether to put him on the disabled list. ... The Mets had a .515 winning percentage in interleague play since it began in 1997, second best among National League teams behind St. Louis (.522).