Bartolo Colon, Mets lose 5-3 to Texas Rangers
FLUSHING -- Robinson Chirinos hit an early three-run homer, Adrian Beltre connected again and the Texas Rangers ended a six-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night.
Alex Rios had three hits, including an RBI double off longtime Texas nemesis Bartolo Colon in a four-run first, and Colby Lewis (6-5) pitched six steady innings to help the Rangers win for only the third time in 17 games.
They snapped a 10-game skid on the road, their longest since a club-record slide of 12 games in 2003, with their first win away from home since June 16 in Oakland.
Travis d'Arnaud homered for the Mets, who have dropped five of six and eight of 10. David Wright had a double in four at-bats as he returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a sore left shoulder.
Colon (8-7) went seven innings but lost his second consecutive outing after going 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA in his previous seven starts.
The 41-year-old right-hander fell to 20-9 in 34 starts against the Rangers, his most wins against any team and the most by any pitcher vs. Texas.
Lewis allowed three runs - two earned - and eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven, walked none and pitched around Wright's leadoff double in the fifth, retiring his final six batters to protect a two-run lead.
Shawn Tolleson escaped an eighth-inning jam after Texas turned Juan Lagares' hard grounder into a double play. Joakim Soria, pitching for the first time in six days, worked a one-hit ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.
Andrus and Rios hit consecutive doubles in the first to put Texas ahead. Colon had a chance to get out of the inning down by only one, but Chirinos drove a 1-2 pitch the other way to right-center for his eighth home run.
Beltre, who also homered Friday in the Rangers' first visit to Citi Field, made it 5-0 in the third with his sixth career home run off Colon.
Curtis Granderson hit an RBI double, and Bobby Abreu had a run-scoring single in the bottom half, but Lewis stopped the Mets there. With the bases loaded, Wright flied out to shallow center, Lucas Duda struck out, and Lagares grounded out.
New York cut it to 5-3 on d'Arnaud's leadoff homer in the fourth.
Chirinos was a bit shaken up in the fifth when a foul ball hit him in the mask. After a trainer and manager Ron Washington came out for a look, Chirinos and Washington playfully shoved each other before the catcher returned to his spot behind the plate.
Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy made a diving stop in the sixth and managed to throw out Rougned Odor from the seat of his pants. Odor singled to center with two outs in the eighth, but Lagares threw out Carlos Pena at the plate.
NOTES: The banged-up Rangers fielded a different lineup for the 20th straight game. They have used 45 players this season, most in the majors and one shy of their total from last year. ... Washington said he'd encourage Yu Darvish to participate in the All-Star game if the Japanese right-hander is chosen for the AL roster Sunday - but he doesn't want his ace throwing more than 20 pitches. Darvish's next scheduled start is Wednesday against Houston. ... Pena snapped an 0-for-20 slump with an eighth-inning double. He is 4 for 36 (.111) since getting called up from Triple-A Round Rock on June 24. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said RHP Dillon Gee (strained right lat) will throw a bullpen Sunday, and the team will then decide whether he is ready to come off the disabled list during the week or needs another minor league rehab start to get up around 100 pitches. Gee threw 75 pitches and struck out 10 over six innings Friday for Class-A Brooklyn. ... The Mets said RHP Buddy Carlyle was on his way from Triple-A Las Vegas to New York, presumably to add a fresh arm to the bullpen. ... RHP Nick Tepesch (3-3) starts the series finale Sunday against Mets RHP Zack Wheeler (3-8).
