(SportsNetwork.com) – The New York Mets are one victory shy of matching the
longest winning streak in club history. They’ll try to equal that record on
Thursday afternoon against the last pitcher to beat them.
The Mets look to secure an 11th straight win in the finale of a three-game
series with Julio Teheran and the Atlanta Braves.
New York has opened the season 12-3, tied with the 1986 team for the best
start in franchise history. This current 10-game surge is the Mets’ longest
winning streak since another 10-game run from July 5-17, 2008.
The franchise has won a club-record 11 consecutive games four times before,
with the most recent instance coming from June 17-29, 1990. The Mets also have
won 11 straight at home dating back to last season, the longest such stretch
for the squad since another 11-game stretch from Aug. 5-24, 2006 at Shea
Stadium.
The Mets rallied past the Braves on Wednesday for a 3-2 win, extending their
win streak thanks to Lucas Duda’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the
eight. Wilmer Flores drove in the other two runs, including one with a game-
tying solo homer in the seventh.
“You don’t go out there and think about getting 10 wins. You go out there and
execute and do anything to win,” Flores said.
Andrelton Simmons and Alberto Callaspo each knocked in runs for the Braves,
who have lost five of seven. Jim Johnson took the loss for his role in the
deciding eighth inning.
“We hit the ball hard and only got two runs to show for it,” Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalez said.
New York’s 10-game win streak began when it salvaged the finale of a three-
game set in Atlanta on April 12. The Mets had lost to Teheran the previous day
and rematch with the Atlanta right-hander in this series closer.
Teheran limited the Mets to three runs — one earned — on two hits and four
walks over six innings in that win. That was part of his season-opening two-
game win streak, but he was hit hard in a no-decision versus Toronto on
Friday.
The hurler served up a career-high four homers over five innings versus the
Blue Jays. He hadn’t given up a homer and yielded only two earned runs over
his first two outings, but his offense prevented him from getting a loss last
week as it recorded an 8-7 win.
Teheran is 4-2 with a 3.04 earned run average in nine games (8 starts) versus
the Mets.
The Mets send 41-year-old Bartolo Colon to the mound today and he comes in
sporting a 2.25 ERA while winning each of his first three starts.
Colon is coming off a 4-1 win over Miami on Friday in which he logged seven
innings of one-run ball. He allowed six hits, one a solo homer, and fanned
five while not walking a batter for a second outing in a row.
The veteran right-hander even drove in a run for a second straight game,
connecting on a sacrifice fly. Colon hadn’t driven in a run since 2005 prior
to this two-game stretch, but had one in a 4-3 win over the Braves on April
12.
Colon is a solid 5-2 with a 2.25 ERA in seven games versus the Braves.
