It takes 18 innings, but Mets win

New York is 17-38 in their last 55 games in St. Louis. Last night the Cards really got their offense going in the 12-2 win and they are now 33-11 at home for the season. But could they look to shore up the back end of the rotation before the July 31 deadline? Louis Cardinals Jason Heyward slowly runs to first base after hitting a single in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on July 18, 2015.

ANGELS 3, RED SOX 0 Garrett Richards pitched a two-hitter for his second career shutout, Kole Calhoun hit two home runs and host Los Angeles beat Boston for its 13th victory in 16 games.

Until the Cardinals play the Pirates on August 11th, they will only play one game (vs. the Royals) against a team with a winning record. Ruben Tejada’s sacrifice fly brought home the deciding run, and a sacrifice bunt from Eric Campbell gave the Mets insurance.

“That’s not a good stat”, Collins said.

The game was scoreless until before both teams got a run in the 13th. St. Louis’ Tim Cooney worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings, permitting three hits and walking four while fanning seven.

“We came out of the gates and we know we’ve got a tough road ahead”. Familia, one of baseball’s best closers so far this year, gave it right back, surrendering a leadoff home run to Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong to even the score once again. They finished 1-for-26 with runners in scoring position and stranded a whopping 25 men on base, tying the franchise record previously set on September 11, 1974.

“That wasn’t the Bartolo Colon we’ve known”, manager Terry Collins said. They just repeatedly failed to score.

New York put at least one runner on base in every inning except the first and had runners in scoring position in all nine extra innings.

The Clinton LumberKings went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position Sunday in a 4-3 loss against the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wis.

Even once they scored the game’s first run in the thirteenth after Curtis Granderson hustled out a double and came around to score when Kevin Plawecki singles, the Mets had runners on the corners soon thereafter with nobody out. “We aren’t happy about that”.

“I’ve never seen more flying helmets going down that runway”, Collins said.

Mets starter Jonathon Niese gave up five hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Cooney, who started the season with the Peoria Chiefs, is making his third major league start and looking for his first decision.

Granderson doubled in the 13th and scored on Plawecki’s single off Carlos Villaneuva.

Familia did escape a second-and-third jam later in the inning with a strikeout of left fielder Tommy Pham, one of 30 K’s between the teams.

Matheny said he would have sent a position player to pitch if the game had gone another inning.

Matheny said he didn’t have any concerns about the long-term impact of the cramps, adding Heyward may have been a victim of his own success Saturday night. He later pinch hit.

The Mets have had offensive problems for most of their season now, and yet they are still only two games behind the Washington Nationals, who were expected to coast into the playoffs. Shelby Miller (5-6) struck out 8 and allowed 4 hits, 4 walks and 3 runs – 1 earned – in 6 innings for the Braves.