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Alvarez, Volquez lead Pirates over Mets

Jun 30, 2014 - 12:05 AM Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Pedro Alvarez belted a two-run homer and Edinson Volquez struck out seven, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday in the finale of a four-game series.

Alvarez finished with three RBI for the Pirates, who won three of four in the series to improve to 7-2 in their last nine games.

Volquez (6-6) gave up eight hits and a walk in six scoreless innings.

Bartolo Colon (8-6) had an eight-start unbeaten streak snapped after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings.

"I don't think he had his A game," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of the 41-year-old right-hander. "He can still compete without it. The difference is when he left balls over the plate we put good swings on them."

The Mets, losers in four of their last five, out-hit the Pirates 13-8 but went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position over the first eight innings.

"We left a lot of guys at third base," said Mets manager Terry Collins. "It was just one of those games. We didn't get the runs in."

That was, until the Mets scored twice and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after being shut out by Justin Wilson and Tony Watson in the seventh and eighth.

Juan Lagares hit a leadoff single off Jared Hughes, went to third on Travis d'Arnaud's double and scored on Chris Young's groundout.

Ruben Tejada added a two-out RBI bloop single to chase Hughes from the game. Mark Melancon came in and gave up a single to Daniel Murphy, his third hit of the game, but retired Curtis Granderson on a fly ball to end the game and earn his 15th save.

The Pirates sent seven players to the plate against Colon in the first inning and took a 3-0 lead on Ike Davis' sliced two-run single to left field and Alvarez's RBI double into the right-field corner.

Josh Harrison led off the fourth inning with a double and Alvarez followed by teeing off on an 88 mph fastball, knocking it into the right-field seats for his 13th homer of the season and a 5-0 Pittsburgh lead.

Game Notes

Colon had been 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA in his previous seven starts. His last loss before Sunday came May 6 at Miami ... The Pirates went 4-3 against the Mets this season ... The Mets start a three-game series in Atlanta on Monday ... The Pirates will host Arizona in a three-game series beginning Tuesday.