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Just Plain Bad: Mets Match Franchise Record In Offensive Futility

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Carlos Torres excelled in a spot start on no rest. The Mets' bats, well, they appear to have taken the week off.

Torres threw five shoutout innings in place of Bartolo Colon, but New York extended a streak of getting four hits or fewer to a fifth straight game in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

"It's really a tough assignment, especially when he pitched yesterday," Collins said of Torres' effort. "We just couldn't give him any help."

New York matched a franchise record in offensive futility.

The Mets had four hits — including Lucas Duda's 22nd homer — against Kyle Hendricks and two relievers, and they totaled just 16 hits in splitting the four-game series with Chicago. The five-game run matches the club's longest streak. New York also went five games with no more than four hits in 2004 and 1963.

The only time since 1914 the Cubs gave up four or fewer hits in four straight games was in 1983.

"It's just execution," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "You've got to go up there and do what we've done in the past when we were a good offensive team, and the only way to get back to that is to get a few hits and feeling good about yourself."

The 41-year-old Colon had to return to the Dominican Republic, where his mother was sick, forcing the durable Torres to make his first start since Sept. 27. He yielded three hits.

Colon's winter ball team, the Cibao Eagles, confirmed later Monday Colon's mother died.

The Mets will place Colon on the bereavement list and recall right-hander Gonzalez Germen from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Torres became the first pitcher to start on no days' rest since the Angels' Billy Buckner did it June 25, 26 last year. Torres threw nine pitches in facing two batters in the Mets' 2-1 loss Sunday.

The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out six — including the side in the first — and walked two on 84 pitches.

"Just pound the zone. It's all you can do," Torres said.

With Torres out, the Cubs rallied to help give Hendricks his fourth straight win.

Luis Valbuena, who had three hits, had a tying single in the sixth. Anthony Rizzo connected off Buddy Carlyle (1-1) in the eighth for his 28th homer. Javier Baez then hit a two-run shot in the ninth off closer Jenrry Mejia into the second deck in left field for his fifth career homer.

Hendricks (5-1) gave up just three hits in seven innings.

Neil Ramirez struck out two in a perfect eighth and Hector Rondon allowed a leadoff double but finished the four-hitter for his 18th save.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: OF Chris Coghlan was out of the starting lineup. "We've been pushing him pretty hard," manager Rick Renteria said. Coghlan has been playing with a sore left big toe. As a pinch hitter, he grounded out with the bases loaded in the eight.

Mets: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka could be activated from the DL to replace Colon. Matsuzaka (elbow inflammation) made a rehab start Saturday, allowing one run and three hits over six innings for Double-A Binghamton.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (2-1) will make his seventh big league start when Cubs host the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Mets: RHP Dillon Gee (4-5) is set for his first start at the Oakland Coliseum. He gave up four runs in four innings vs. the A's at Citi Field on June 21, 2011.

QUICK REVIEW

Renteria challenged two plays, winning one and losing one. The total time for the two reviews was 1 minute, 23 seconds. Umpires needed 55 seconds to overturn a safe call on Matt den Dekker's attempted steal in the fourth. It only took 28 seconds to uphold an out call at first base in the fifth.

ZERO SUM

Torres is the first pitcher to strike out six on zero rest since the Cubs' Steve Wilson struck out 10 on Sept. 10, 1989. He also is the first to throw at least five shutout innings on no rest since Philadelphia's Bruce Ruffin went eight scoreless on June 21, 1991.

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