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Heyward gets 5 hits, Cardinals beat Mets 12

Breaking a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the 18th inning, New York outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1.

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Heyward has seven hits, including a triple and double, two RBI and two steals in the first two games of the series. He was St. Louis’ eighth pitcher.It was just the 12th defeat in 45 home games for St. Louis (58-34).Neither starter was involved in the decision.

St. Louis Cardinals’ Jason Heyward hits an RBI-single during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, July 18, 2015, in St. Louis.

And win they did, even as their woes at the plate sunk to new depths, reaching a new level of ineptitude.

Boston beat the Yankees in 19 innings in April. It took 5 hours, 55 minutes to complete, but when it finally ended, the scoreboard read: Mets 3, Cardinals 1.

Colon (9-8) was ripped for eight hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings, walking three and fanning five as his earned run average soared to 4.86.

“Weird stat”, Campbell said.

Ruben Tejada produced a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 18th after the Mets loaded the bases with none out against Carlos Martinez. Tejada hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Grichuk, W.Flores scored, Granderson to third. On leaving 25 runners on base, which previously had only been done in franchise history in a 25-inning game against the Cardinals in 1974, Collins playfully said: “That’s not good”.

“The execution of pitches concerns me”, Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said of Torres.

“I hit two homers one night and got overshadowed”, Heyward joked.

In an nearly unimaginable display of futility, the Mets (48-44) recorded 16 hits on Sunday and walked 13 times, yet only scratched across three runs.

Colon walked three, including leadoff man Kolten Wong in the first, after totaling 11 walks in 105 innings his first 17 starts. It was the majors’ poorest showing with runners in scoring position since at least 1974.

“That wasn’t the Bartolo Colon we’ve known”, manager Terry Collins said. “We aren’t happy about that”. “He didn’t necessarily want a day, but we’re going to give it to him anyhow”. “I’ve never seen more flying helmets in my life”. Starter John Lackey gave up 10 hits but only one run.

CUBS 4, BRAVES 0 Jon Lester lost his bid for a no-hitter in the eighth inning – a try revived by an official scorer’s reversal – but ended the longest winless streak of his career as Chicago shut out host Atlanta.

This wasn’t the first time the teams endured a scoring drought against each other at Busch Stadium, and the Mets won the previoius one, too. Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki produced an RBI single in the top of the 13th that scored Granderson, who led off the inning with a double. Wong tied the game with his homer off Jeurys Familia.

The Cardinals couldn’t score after that, as Tommy Pham struck out swinging to end the inning with Molina and Peralta stranded in scoring position. He was removed after singling in the eighth, perhaps because he fouled a pitch off his leg earlier in the at-bat. Heyward also has been dealing with a head cold that Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said has been making the rounds through the clubhouse. He later pinch hit.

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Right away, the schedule gave them a chance to claim the recognition they covet: a series against each of the three National League division leaders to open the second half-a flawless opportunity to prove themselves as genuine contenders and validate their lofty aspirations.

Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports