Final Score: Giants 3, Mets 0—Overly liberal Colon unable to cover Mets' stench

The Mets managed only four hits, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, committed two official errors and a couple more misplays, and had a runner thrown out at the plate for good measure en route to a thoroughly miserable 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Giants this evening.

Starter Bartolo Colon worked under duress all evening, giving up 10 hits in 6 innings of work, but managed to allow only three runs (two earned).  He didn't help his own cause with a trio of poor defensive plays, including missing the first base bag on a cover play, booting a weak grounder back to the box, and letting a bunt roll instead of picking it up and recording an out.  He got around the first two mishaps unscathed, but Gregor Blanco's bunt which stayed fair opened the door for the Giants' first runs of the game in the third.

After Joe Panik singled, an error by Daniel Murphy at third base loaded the bases, setting up runs via a fielder's choice and sacrifice fly.  So the Giants, who came in as losers of seven straight, didn't exactly scald the ball, but hey, they were playing the Mets, and as we all know, a 2-0 lead is insurmountable.  An unnecessary third run would be later scored by the Giants, involving the only actual hitting-based rally of the game.

In the top half of the third, Murphy had himself struck out with the bases loaded, just to spite his impressive 6.5% K rate on the season.  The Mets' next best scoring opportunity came in the sixth when Curtis Granderson led off by whacking a triple.  Ruben Tejada popped a shallow fly into foul ground in right, and Hunter Pence (in his first game back from the DL) made a great sliding grab, spun to his feet and fired a strike to the plate to nail Granderson trying to tag up.  At this point, there wasn't even any joy to making quips like "Hunter Pence looks like he's had his arm in a cast his entire life when he throws" or "Hunter Pence throwing looks like a protozoan attempting locomotion via flagellum".

The Mets also wasted a leadoff double by Kevin Plawecki (2-for-3, 2 doubles) in the eighth, and ended the game by hitting into their 72nd double play of the year—John Mayberry's effort ensured the Mets remained tied for the NL lead in that department.

The Mets have now gone nine games without a homer, and fifteen games without a homer from someone not named Granderson.  They have been shut out three times in the last eight games, and ten times in the last 61.  They are last in the NL in batting average at .232, seven points behind the next team, and last in runs scored.

Positive notes: Carlos Torres (3 strikeouts) and Alex Torres each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.  Jennry Mejia warmed up for the first time in a major league bullpen since opening day, but did not enter the game.  The Mets have a chance to redeem themselves and finish a winning West Coast trip with Jacob deGrom on the hill tomorrow afternoon.

GameThread Roll Call

Nice job by amazins8669; his effort in the GameThread embiggens us all.