After dropping the first game of the double-header, Bartolo Colon knew he had to buckle down and navigate his team to a second game win. As Terry Collins has said as of late, this is “crunch time,” and losing both games to a team chasing you in the Wild Card race is unacceptable.
Big Sexy came out strong, pitching seven efficient innings while allowing just one run. He gave up just three hits while walking none and striking out eight. It was by far his best looking start in awhile, a much needed boost for the veteran hurler.
“Just throwing it straight. It was going where I wanted it,” Colon said through a translator. (ESPN)
The win improved Colon’s record to 9-5 on the season, while lowering his ERA to 3.35. His WHIP stands at 1.20, and showed much better control in this start than he has in previous outings. Collins could not be happier with his 43-year-old pitcher.
“He’s pitching as good, if not better, than anybody,” Collins said.
Colon needed just 87 pitches to get through these seven innings, throwing strikes often and on target. In contrast, Noah Syndergaard who started game one of the doubleheader, needed 114 pitches to get through six innings. Syndergaard struggled with putting away batters early, struggling to put away Cardinal hitters.
Big Bart will take the mound again on Saturday with just three days rest as the team will not look to a spot starter to take on the Colorado Rockies on the day they retire Mike Piazza‘s number.
