Mets Morning News: April doesn't get any better than this

Meet the Mets

The Mets finished off a perfect homestand on Thursday afternoon by defeating the Braves 6-3. Bartolo Colon allowed three runs in six innings and the bullpen was splendid.

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Daniel Murphy made a defensive blunder but he also drove in four runs, including three on a clutch, bases-loaded double in the first inning.

One of the most fun parts of the game was when Colon picked off A.J. Pierzynski and then ran him down for the tag out.

With the way Colon has flourished in recent years, it's easy to forget that his career was supposed to be over before it was saved by a stem cell procedure in 2010.

C.J. Nitkowski says that the Mets shouldn't be so confused about the home plate collision rule that may have cost them a run on Thursday.

Even though the Mets are a young team, they're not letting all this winning go to their heads.

The soonest that David Wright can come off the disabled list is April 30, but he's taking a cautious approach with his injured hamstring.

In advance of the first Mets vs. Yankees game of the season, the two teams' television ratings are as close as they've ever been in the SNY era.

With both the Mets and the Yankees playing great baseball, this weekend's series should be something for New York fans to hoot and holler about.

Around the National League East

The Phillies and their lousy defense fell to the Marlins 9-1 on Thursday.

The Nationals dropped the rubber game of their series versus St. Louis. Ryan Zimmerman has been dealing with plantar fasciitis and may need a day off soon.

Fish Stripes says that rumored managerial acquisition Wally Backman could bring a new energy to Miami's clubhouse.

Around Major League Baseball

Kansas City right-hander Yordano Ventura found himself in the middle of yet another benches-clearing incident on Thursday night. Ventura previously was involved in dust-ups with the Angles and Athletics, and we've been playing baseball for almost three weeks now.

Joe Nathan is about to undergo elbow surgery as a 40-year-old pitcher. His baseball career could certainly be over, so Grant Brisbee reminds us that it should have been over many years ago.

Although he hasn't been fully reinstated yet, Pete Rose will be allowed to participate in All-Star festivities this summer in Cincinnati.

Former Yankee Bernie Williams hasn't appeared in a major league game in years, but today he will finally make his retirement official.

Joel Sherman writes that the Yankees, like the Mets, have an offense based on patience and power.

Yesterday at Amazin' Avenue

The Mets as a team are not striking out very often, so Andrew Felper wonders why Michael Cuddyer is whiffing more than he usually does.

This date in Mets history

In 1962, Casey Stengal was fined $500 for appearing in a beer advertisement. In 1977, Carlos Beltran was born.