New York Mets’ Bartolo Colon, left, rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run off San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 7, 2016, in San Diego. The previous record holder was ace pitcher Randy Johnson, at age 40.
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Bethancourt immediately followed a one-out single by Ramirez by rifling a Harvey pitch 434 feet for a two-run homer – one of the longest drives hit to straight-away left in Petco Park’s 13-season history.
The Mets obviously don’t mind, as Colon improved his record to 3-1 in Saturday’s eventual 6-3 victory, limiting the Padres to three runs on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out 10 over six innings.
Colon also became the fifth-oldest pitcher since 1913 to homer in a game, coming in behind Warren Spahn, Phil Niekro, Dazzy Vance, and Jack Quinn, and the second-oldest member of the Mets behind Julio Franco and just ahead of Willie Mays.
The Mets got a pair of run-scoring singles from Asdrubal Cabrera and another from Eric Campbell.
It only took him 40-something years and nearly 300 pounds to do it, but Bartolo Colon has joined the elite class of men who have hit a home run in the Major League Baseball. “Splitting is not bad when you look at the rotation they brought in against us, but shoot, I’m always hungry for more”.
Cashner struggled early while Harvey sailed through the first four innings, the only hit off the Mets’ right-hander being Cashner’s bunt single up the third-base line with two out in the sixth.
“I’m just trying to throw every pitch with intensity”, said Bastardo, who threw nothing but fastballs. According to Statcast, the ball came off Colon’s bat at 97 miles per hour and traveled 365 feet.
“I’ve seen him hit it plenty of times in batting practice and stuff”, Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki said. “You know, you watch him take BP, and he’s got very good hand-eye coordination”.
Before this, when fans thought of Colon hitting, they’d probably think of his helmet falling off while he struck out or maybe the time he hit an RBI double a year ago. Bethancourt also hit a two-run homer in the fifth. Entering the week with just one home run and 10 RBI in total, the 34-year-old added four home runs and 15 RBI during the first stretch of May alone.
“You could see on the first couple he didn’t even move”.
Jeurys Familia worked a ideal ninth and improved to 10-for-10 in save chances.
The Mets now head over to Los Angeles for the start of a four-game series.
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In Chicago, Todd Frazier doubled and homered in support of Chris Sale, who survived a rocky start to become the first seven-game victor in the majors.
