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CLEVELAND -- The New York Mets' dormant offense finally came to life Friday night, and they needed every run. The Mets hit four home runs, including three in the span of seven batters in a five-run fifth inning, to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 at Progressive Field.
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Michael Conforto, Alejandro De Aza, Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker all homered for the Mets, who came into the game with a major league-low two home runs.
"That's what got us to where we went last year. Home runs are big for us. We need to hit them," said Mets manager Terry Collins.
New York's .194 batting average at the start of the game was the lowest in the National League, but the Mets pounded out 14 hits, seven of them for extra bases.
"We're going to be Ok offensively. We just got off to a slow start," Collins said. "Tonight we swung the bats good, which was nice to see."
The Mets had scored three runs or less in seven of their first eight games, but on this night they gave plenty of support to 42-year-old Bartolo Colon (1-1), who pitched into the sixth inning to pick up career win No. 219.
"He's a class act. A pro. He always takes the ball and he gives you all he's got," Collins said.
The loss went to Cleveland starter Cody Anderson (0-1), who in 4 2/3 innings gave up three of the Mets' four home runs, nine hits overall, with five strikeouts and one walk.
"I just need to make better pitches. I gave up five runs and let the team down," Anderson said.
Cleveland made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Carlos Santana belted a two-out, two-run home run off Addison Reed to cut a 6-2 Mets lead to 6-4. Closer Jeurys Familia came into the game and gave up a single to Yan Gomes, who went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a bloop single by Marlon Byrd to make it 6-5.
Collin Cowgill pinch ran for Byrd, and he went to second when Juan Uribe walked on four pitches. Familia finally ended the game, and picked up his third save, by getting Jose Ramirez to fly out.
New York took an early lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Conforto off Anderson.
"I was just trying to hit the ball hard and put up a good at bat. To see it go out of the park was nice. My first one of the year," Conforto said.
Cleveland tied it in the bottom half when it looked initially like they'd scored three, but had to settle for one.
With one out, Jason Kipnis doubled and scored the tying run on a two-out single by Mike Napoli off Colon.
Santana -- the next hitter -- belted a towering fly ball that reached the seats near the right field foul pole. The ball was ruled a home run by first base umpire Dan Iassogna. However, Collins asked the umpires to review the call.
The umpires reviewed it, but only verbally amongst themselves. The call was reversed, and ruled a foul ball. Cleveland manager Terry Francona was given the option of having it video reviewed, but Francona declined. So instead of a 3-1 Cleveland lead, the score remained 1-1.
"Carlos stopped running, and we had a good view of it from the dugout, unfortunately," Francona said.
The Mets hit three more home runs in the fifth inning, knocking Anderson out of the game. De Aza, leading off the inning, hit his first home run to give New York a 2-1 lead.
Two outs later, Conforto reached base on an infield single and Cespedes hammered a home run over the center field wall to extend the lead to 4-1.
Following a single by Lucas Duda, Anderson was relieved by left-hander Ross Detwiler, but the left-handed hitting Walker blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it 6-1.
The Indians got a run back in the fifth inning. Rajai Davis led off with a single and scored on a double by Kipnis to cut the New York lead to 6-2.
NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley (shoulder surgery) will make a rehab appearance with Double-A Akron on Saturday. ... Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall (left wrist impingement) made a rehab appearance at Akron on Friday night and is scheduled to play again with Akron on Saturday. ... Mets RHP Jacob deGrom, who has been bothered by a sore muscle on his right side, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He will throw another bullpen on Sunday and a decision will then be made on whether to put him on the disabled list. ... The Mets had a .515 winning percentage in interleague play since it began in 1997, second best among National League teams behind St. Louis (.522).
