Ageless wonder, Bartolo Colon was at it again Thursday night as the Mets defeated the Pirates by a score of 6-4. Colon marveled with the bat while being masterful with his arm as he continues to have a wonderful season at the ripe age of 43.
Colon pitched deep into the game, going 7.2 innings while allowing just two runs on seven hits. He walked none while striking out eight on the night, a season-high. Another great performance for a pitcher who just seems to be getting better with age. He picked up the win and improved his record to 6-3 on the season while lowering his ERA to 3.01. Colon has pitched to a WHIP of just 1.19 this season. He is now 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA over his last five starts, dating back to May 23rd.
When Colon pitches though, it is never the full story on his night. He also comes to the plate to hit, and each at-bat seems like an event that we all wait to admire. He did not disappoint last night, smacking a double off of his opponent, Juan Nicasio. Colon would show his wheels, hustling to third base while almost over running the bag on Curtis Granderson‘s single. Yoenis Cespedes followed up with a deep fly-out that allowed Colon to score.
“I don’t like to run very much, but I imagine the fans have a lot of fun watching me out there running,” Colon said through an interpreter. (ESPN)
Colon has been more than anyone could have asked for this season. He has been a true stabilizing force for this rotation, pitching more like a top of the rotation starter than a number five. Manager, Terry Collins gushed about how much Colon has meant to this team after Thursday’s victory.
“He’s a stabilizing factor. No doubt,” Collins said. “As our young guys try to get themselves going, he’s just so consistent. He just does the same thing night after night. He never beats himself. He makes you swing the bat to beat him. He doesn’t walk guys. Obviously he fields his position great. It’s something to watch. It’s truly amazing.”
Going into this season, Colon was thought to just be a pitcher who will hold down a spot until Zack Wheeler was ready to come back up and contribute. Now that Colon has exceeded all expectations, it is hard to believe that he would be displaced upon Wheeler’s return. It will be interesting to see how the team handles the rotation once Zack makes his way back to the rotation following the all-star break.
