NEW YORK -- So disenchanting was Bartolo Colon's July 20 loss to the Cubs, the 43-year-old All-Star's second poor outing in three tries, that Mets manager Terry Collins entertained a question regarding the perils of sticking with Colon in the rotation.
"We can't go there right now," Collins said after that game. "We don't have the options. Bartolo's going to pitch. He's going to start every five days. We have no other options right now. If he was 53, he's going to be out there."
And so Colon lumbered back to the Citi Field mound five games later, giving the Mets seven strong innings Tuesday in a 3-1 win in Game 2 of a doubleheader.