BATS OUT OF HELL
Offense picks up deGrom as Amazin’s clobber Braves
ATLANTA — Welcome to bizarro world for the Mets.
Now it’s the suddenly productive lineup bailing out a slumping starting rotation. You know, the same lineup that couldn’t score runs with Yoenis Cespedes playing, but has improved with the All-Star outfielder on the disabled list.
Somehow it all makes perfect sense for a team that was expected to compete for first place, but began Wednesday in last. That was before the Mets beat the Braves 16-5 at SunTrust Park for a second victory in three games and moved ahead of Atlanta in the standings.
The beauty of this one for the Mets (12-15) was they received contributions from the entire lineup and didn’t even hit a home run in scoring at least five runs for a seventh straight game. Jose Reyes led the rampage with a 2-for-4 performance in which he matched a career high with five RBIs, on a night the Mets hammered out 20 hits — nine of which were doubles.
“We were hitting with men in scoring position, so that is what you want,” Reyes said. “Hopefully we can continue to play like this. Not that we are going to score 16 runs every game, but if you get a key hit with two outs and runners in scoring position, that is huge.”
The starting pitching is another matter.
Handed a six-run lead in the fifth, Jacob deGrom staggered through his final inning to barely qualify for the victory. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on eight hits and five walks, marking a return of the control problems that surfaced two starts earlier against the Nationals. In that start he walked six over 5 2/3 innings.
“I feel good early on, but I don’t know what’s happening later in the game,” deGrom said. “I don’t know if I am trying to do too much out there and for some reason lose control, and it’s not a very good effort for me tonight.”
At least deGrom contributed at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance that included two RBIs.
“I guess I have to do something good when I go out there and stink on the mound,” deGrom said.
So in succession the Mets have watched Noah Syndergaard — before he tore his right lat and hit the DL — Robert Gsellman, Matt Harvey and deGrom struggle. Overall, the Mets entered play with a 4.56 ERA among starting pitchers, which ranked 24th in the major leagues.
Josh Edgin, Addison Reed, Fernando Salas and Josh Smoker each pitched a scoreless inning after Jace Peterson’s two-run double against deGrom (2-1) in the fifth had sliced the Mets’ lead to 9-5.
The Mets seized control with four runs in the fifth, with Curtis Granderson’s second double of the night serving as the key hit. But Rene Rivera and deGrom each delivered a run-scoring single after Reyes’ sacrifice fly.
“We have a good offensive team,” manager Terry Collins said. “And you knew at some time we were going to start getting some hits.”
Reyes iced the game with a three-run double in the eighth. The Mets scored seven runs in the inning to ensure their highest scoring output of the season. Previously, the Mets had scored in 14 runs in a victory over the Phillies on April 11.
In his second start this season against his former teammates, Bartolo Colon lasted only four innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits and two walks. It continued a slump for the 43-year-old Colon, who has surrendered at least four earned runs in each of his last three starts and is now sporting a 6.27 ERA in his six starts this season.
Colon relied heavily on his offspeed pitches, but the Mets weren’t fooled.
“He threw more tonight than he did in a month for us, maybe the last three years,” Collins said. “We were all pretty surprised.”