Terry Collins 'Frustrated,' Says Mets Have To 'Stop Making Mistakes'
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Even with Jason Isringhausen back on the Mets in their modified bullpen, New York couldn't find a way to get those crucial outs late in the game.
Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs and Colorado took advantage of New York's struggling relievers in a 7-6 victory Monday night.
"Everybody is as frustrated in this room as I am, but we've been in every single game but one," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The fight is still there, but we've got to stop making mistakes."
David Wright hit his second homer and Willie Harris had a two-run double for New York, which has lost four of five following a three-game winning streak.
Jose Reyes tripled twice for the fifth time in his career and struggling starter Mike Pelfrey threw 113 pitches in 5 1-3 innings — though he did leave with a 4-2 lead.
"It's a step in the right direction. I would like to pitch a lot deeper into a game, but it was better," Pelfrey said.
New York's overworked bullpen entered the day with a 4.98 ERA, which ranked 26th in the majors. The relievers threw 11 innings during a three-game series against Washington over the weekend, allowing 10 hits and 11 walks.
LISTEN: A "frustrated" Terry Collins speaks after the Mets drop another game
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Looking for help, the Mets brought up Isringhausen and Ryota Igarashi before the game. Isringhausen, making his first major league appearance since June 2009 with Tampa Bay — and first for the Mets since 1999 — escaped a jam in the seventh, pumping his fist.
"Yeah, my heart was pumping a little bit. I was nervous, but that's what makes it fun," he said.
Dexter Fowler singled off Bobby Parnell (0-1) to open the eighth and moved to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch. Carlos Gonzalez hit a comebacker and Parnell had a good chance to get Fowler at the plate, but he threw over the head of catcher Josh Thole.
"I rushed it and I threw it to the backstop," Parnell said. "I knew Fowler was a good runner, so I tried to get rid of it as fast as I could and executed poorly."
Gonzalez was credited with an RBI on the fielder's choice and he went to second on the error. Tulowitzki followed with a loud shot to left for his fourth homer and a 7-4 lead.
"It wasn't a composure thing. I just made a bad pitch," Parnell said.
It was the second time in the game that a Mets reliever threw high to home plate on a key play.
Igarashi, just called up from Triple-A Buffalo, had a chance for an inning-ending double play in the sixth, but he also made a wayward throw. Gonzalez followed with a two-run single, breaking his bat on a two-strike pitch, to tie it at 4.
Is New York's bullpen really as bad as it looked on Monday? Let us know what you think in the comments below...
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