Mets edge Orioles
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Flushing, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Bartolo Colon pitched into the eighth and Kevin Plawecki hit an early two-run double as the New York Mets escaped with a 3-2 decision over Baltimore in the opener of this interleague series.
Colon (5-1) kept the O's in check until the eighth, when Manny Machado buried a pitch deep in the left-center field seats to make it 3-1. He exited having allowed only five other hits while striking out nine over 7 2/3 innings.
"He's been nothing short of remarkable," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Colon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Daniel Murphy finished 2-for-3, scored once and knocked in the other run for the Mets, who had dropped three of four to Washington.
Chris Davis also homered among his two hits for the Orioles, who were coming off a series win against the Rays. Bud Norris (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits while fanning four over seven full frames in defeat.
After Machado's homer, Jimmy Paredes flied out to deep left and Carlos Torres relieved Colon to retire Adam Jones on a grounder to short that kept it a two-run margin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jeurys Familia was greeted with a long homer to left from Davis in the ninth and the Orioles crept within a run at 3-2. However, Delmon Young struck out, Caleb Joseph flied out and Travis Snider's grounder back to the mound wrapped up the victory.
"I've seen him throw. I know he's got an electric fastball," Davis noted. "In that situation, you're just trying to get a pitch up that you can drive and try to put a good swing on."
The host Mets snapped the scoreless deadlock in the fourth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucas Duda led off with a double and scored two batters later on a Murphy base hit, then Wilmer Flores reached second on a slicing liner into the left-field corner.
Plawecki provided a three-run edge on his two-bagger to left.
"We haven't scored lately, and we all know it," said Collins. "Tonight we came up with a big inning, and it made a big difference."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
Colon became the first pitcher in MLB history to beat an opponent with seven different clubs. The 41-year-old right-hander also bested Baltimore as a member of the A's, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, White Sox and Indians ... Familia posted his 11th save ... Prior to the contest, the Mets selected the contract of catcher Johnny Monell from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned infielder Eric Campbell to Las Vegas.