Colon turns back the clock, is perfect into 8th inning
Age is only a number, and Bartolo Colon is evidence of that.
The 44-year-old pitcher carried a perfect game into the eighth and Robinson Chirinos drove in all three runs for Texas in its 3-1 victory over the Astros in Houston in 10 innings Sunday night.
“I don’t ever think about what age I am or who is facing me,” Colon said through a translator. “I always try to do my job, and I always feel happy doing my job and that’s what I think about.”
Colon turned back the clock and dominated the defending World Series champions for seven innings, retiring his first 21 batters in an entertaining duel with the Astros’ Justin Verlander.
Of the first 17 batters Colon faced, he went to an 0-2 count on 10 and struck out six.
“When I pitched seven innings perfect, I started thinking about it,” he said. “I know that ( Jose) Altuve and all those guys can be a hard out.”
Colon walked Carlos Correa on a 3-1 pitch to start the eighth before Josh Reddick lined an 0-2 delivery down the rightfield line for a double that put runners at second and third, spoiling the no-hit bid as well.
Two outs later, Colon was removed with the score tied 1-1. As he walked off the field, he glanced at Reddick on third base and the two shared some words.
“He looked at me and told me I was supposed to at least roll over it and not pull it like that,” Reddick said. “He and I go way back from our Oakland days. I told him great job. He’s one of the better guys you’ll see in the game.” Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 1: Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 and pitched two-hit ball over seven innings for host Los Angeles. Red Sox 3, Orioles 1: Andrew Benintendi got three hits at frigid Fenway Park, and Boston extended the best start in its 118-year history to a majorleague-best 13-2. Cardinals 3, Reds 2: Carlos Martinez struck out a seasonhigh 11 batters in seven shutout innings and Harrison Bader’s two-run home run helped St. Louis sweep a four-game set in Cincinnati. Phillies 10, Rays 4: Aaron Altherr hit a three-run homer, Scott Kingery had a three-run double and visiting Philadelphia won its sixth in a row. Pirates 7, Marlins 3: Starling Marte hiked his average 64 points to .305, punctuating a 5-for-5 afternoon with a ninth-inning homer to help visiting Pittsburgh beat Miami. Mets 3, Brewers 2: Wilmer Flores hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as New York improved the best start in team history to 12-2. Noah Syndergaard struck out eight batters in a row, two shy of Tom Seaver’s major-league record. Rockies 6, Nationals 5: Ian Desmond hit a tie-breaking, two-out homer in the ninth inning against his former team and Sean Doolittle, Charlie Blackmon drove in three runs and Colorado ended a dispiriting homestand for Washington, which went 3-7. Yankees at Tigers, doubleheader, ppd.: Called off over rain, the games will be played in a split doubleheader June 4. White Sox at Twins, ppd.: The game had been called off Saturday, when that day’s game was called off as well because of snow. No makeup dates have been announced. Braves at Cubs, ppd.: Postponed because of rain, the game was rescheduled for May 14. Angels at Royals, ppd.: The game was called off because of cold temperatures, with an 18-mph wind making the 31 degree temperature feel like 20. The game will be made up June 25 in Kansas City. Blue Jays at Indians, ppd.: The teams will play a traditional doubleheader May 3 after their series finale was postponed by rain.