Walker Has Big Night, But Mets Get Shelled Out In The Desert
PHOENIX (CBSNewYork/AP) — Welington Castillo took a week off to be with his wife and newborn son after there were complications with the boy's birth.
Everything is fine now, he said, and he celebrated his return with a big night at the plate in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 10-6 victory over the New York Mets on Monday.
Castillo matched his career high with four hits. He doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored twice for the last-place Diamondbacks, who swept three games from the Mets last week in New York.
"It felt good. My mind was free," Castillo said. "Everything went fine. I have the baby at home, my wife, too. They're both really healthy so I'm just here to do what I love to do."
MORE: Coleman: Mets Are Still In Decent Shape As Far As Playoffs Go
Bartolo Colon drew the first walk of his 19-year major league career but he lasted just four innings against Arizona. Colon said his left (non-pitching) wrist was sore when he was at bat and walked on a 3-2 pitch.
"That surprised me as well," Colon said through a translator. "I don't know why that pitcher didn't strike me out. He could have. I really couldn't do much more at that point."
Left-hander Robbie Ray (5-11), who threw seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Mets last Wednesday, allowed two runs and eight hits in five innings for his first victory in five starts. He struck out five and walked two.
One of the walks went to the 43-year-old Colon on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth. It came in Colon's 282nd career plate appearance.
"That's really just unacceptable, to walk him like that," Ray said. "There were two outs and, yeah, I walked him. But it won't happen again."
According to ESPN Stats & Info, no other player in major league history had that many plate appearances without walking.
It was the second first at the plate for Colon this season. On May 7, he became the oldest player in major league history to hit his first home run.
Colon (10-7) allowed five runs, two earned, and nine hits.
Castillo returned with his new baby in good health and the Diamondbacks, coming off a 16-2 loss at Boston on Sunday, welcomed him with a 16-hit performance, including seven doubles, a triple and a home run.
Paul Goldschmidt had three hits, including a triple and a double. He scored three times. Yasmany Tomas hit a two-run homer off Hansel Robles in the eighth.
Neil Walker had three hits for the Mets, including a solo home run in the ninth off Edwin Escobar, just called up from Triple-A Reno.
Arizona scored three unearned runs in the first inning and led the rest of the way.
Mets third baseman T.J. Rivera bobbled Jean Segura's grounder for an error to start the game.
Michael Bourn, Jake Lamb and Castillo had RBI singles in the first, all on grounders up the middle.
"We didn't make a play, and after that they had four hits," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "When you play behind Bartolo, you can't have many mistakes because they are going to put the ball in play against you."
Trailing 8-2, the Mets scored three runs in the seventh. New York loaded the bases with no outs against lefty Steve Hathaway. Randall Delgado relieved Hathaway and walked in a run. Sacrifice flies by Rivera and Ty Kelly cut the lead to 8-5.
Enrique Burgos, with a fastball hitting 97 mph, struck out the side for Arizona in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes (strained right quad) made his first rehab appearance since his injury, going 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an RBI groundout for Class A St. Lucie. He said in a statement released by the team that, "If things go OK, I hope to be with the team in San Francisco." The Mets open a four-game series against the Giants on Thursday. Cespedes is eligible to come off the DL on Friday.
Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollack (wrist surgery) has appeared in five rehab games for Class A Visalia. He's batting .462 with two home runs, a double, four RBIs and three walks.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 2.75 ERA) gets the start Tuesday. He allowed three runs and eight hits, matching his most this season, during a 9-0 loss to the Diamondbacks in his last outing.
Diamondbacks: RHP Braden Shipley (2-1, 2.96) makes his fifth major league start. He threw seven innings in that 9-0 win over the Mets last week.
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