Mets reliever Carlos Torres stepped up in a big way during a spot start Monday against the Cubs after Bartolo Colon was a late scratch due to personal reasons. Torres tossed five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks.
Torres, who pitched one-third of an inning in relief Sunday, got off to a really fast start, as he struck out the side in the first inning. He got all three batters on swinging strikeouts. He finished with six strikeouts.
He allowed a single to Starlin Castro in the second inning, and singles to Luis Valbuena and Justin Ruggiano in the fourth inning, which helped load the bases. But Torres worked out of the two-out jam by striking out Welington Castillo.
He left with a 1-0 lead, but the Mets could not hold the one-run advantage and eventually lost 4-1. Monday was the first time this season Torres drew a start. As of now, he's expected to head back to the bullpen.