The Braves signed veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon to help stabilize their rotation but, early in the season, he’s been the least effective of their five starters.
The Mets roughed up Colon for five runs over four innings during a 16-5 victory on Wednesday. Colon’s 6.27 ERA is the highest among Braves starters and, contrary to the expectation that he would eat up innings, Colon’s 5.5 innings per start are the fewest.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said pitch location continues to be Colon’s main issue and expressed cautious optimism that he can sort it out.
“He’ll go to work and I’m sure figure it out,” Snitker said. “I’m sure he’s had to figure it out before. I just hope he can do it.”
The Mets had seven hits against Colon with two walks and no strikeouts. Over his past three starts (16 innings) Colon has allowed 28 hits and 15 runs.
Colon, 43, depends on precise pitch location to be effective.
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve been missing by a big margin lately,” he said through an interpreter. “I feel like my best pitch is my sinker and, to be honest, it feels like it hasn’t been sinking lately. When that happens, that’s what good teams will do to you is come out and hit you and hit you early.”
The Mets, Colon’s former team, jumped on with back-to-back doubles by Michael Conforto and Asdrubal Cabrera to open the game. Cabrera’s hit scored a run and, after Jay Bruce walked, Neil Walker hit another RBI double.
Colon caught a break when that inning ended with a double play on a base-running blunder by Jose Reyes. The Mets’ third inning ended with another double play on a base-running mistake, but not before they had scored three more runs against Colon.
Colon pitched a clean fourth inning but Snitker pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning because he said the Braves needed all the offensive punch they could get against Mets starter Jacob deGrom. It was the second four-inning outing of the season for Colon.
“He’s just getting too much of the plate,” Sniker said. “A lot of the pitches are right down the middle and the ones working both sides are off. It’s just about the location for him.”
Colon was effective for the Mets in 2016 after injuries to starters thrust him into the rotation coming out of spring training. He struggled during July, around the time of his first All-Star appearance since 2013, before righting himself. The Braves signed him in November for one year and $12.5 million.
The Braves hope Colon can find a way to be effective again.
“A guy like that, you are not too worried about it,” Braves right fielder Nick Markakis said. “He knows what he needs to do to get back on track and I’m sure he will.”
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