The New York Mets can achieve a 2014 novelty -- back-to- back home victories -- when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game series at Citi Field.
New York hasn't won two straight on its home turf since late April, which coincided with its longest win streak of the season thus far, three games.
The Mets have won just 12 of 29 games at home and have hit only .222 there, but they did manage four doubles out of seven hits against the Pirates on Tuesday, which marked the debut of hitting coach Lamar Johnson after his predecessor, Dave Hudgens, was let go following Monday's loss.
"We were hoping we'd have a good homestand," manager Terry Collins said. "We've played well. We just haven't hit and driven in the big runs. To have a game like (Tuesday) I thought was important."
Starting on the mound will be veteran Bartolo Colon, who was superb in a May 17 defeat of the Washington Nationals before seeing his most recent scheduled start, on Friday, rained out.
He's started three times at home and has won just one decision, though he's compiled a 3.15 earned run average on those outings.
In five lifetime meetings with Pittsburgh, he's 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA.
Pittsburgh, which is just 7-15 on the road, had five hits on Tuesday after rapping out 12 Monday.
They'll give the start to right-hander Charlie Morton, who snapped a six- decision skid in his most recent start on Friday, when he defeated Washington, 4-3.
He'd gone 14 starts without a victory, losing seven decisions with a 3.67 ERA.
His six losses this season are among the major-league leaders and his 10 hit- batsmen is the top number in the big leagues.
In five career starts against the Mets, he's 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA.
On Tuesday, Juan Lagares went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, including the go-ahead single in the sixth inning that propelled the Mets to a 4-2 victory.
Daniel Murphy doubled twice, scored a run and knocked in another for the Mets, who improved to 3-5 on a nine-game homestand.
A day after Jose Valverde blew a save and was given his release, New York used Jenrry Mejia for two innings to close out the win.
Edinson Volquez walked five and allowed two runs on four hits in five laborious innings, but the Pirates took him off the hook when Starling Marte hit a bases-loaded, two-run single in the sixth to even things at 2-2.
The hit ended Jonathon Niese's outing, and Vic Black (1-0) got out of the inning by striking out pinch-hitter Ike Davis to leave the bags full.
Pittsburgh was 5-2 versus the Mets last season.
[SportsNetwork.com]
