NEW YORK -- Bartolo Colon and the New York Mets are beginning to play much better. Now they need to start gaining some ground in the standings.Wilmer Flores launched a grand slam, Asdrubal Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate and even Colon had two helpful hits while pitching the third-place Mets to a 9-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.Jose Reyes and Cabrera opened the Mets half of the first inning with consecutive home runs, just the second time the franchise has accomplished that feat. But the defending NL champions (65-63) remained 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis in a crowded race for the leagues second wild card.Weve still got things weve got to make sure we address and stay on top of, Mets manager Terry Collins said. Its not all a cakewalk from here on out.The 43-year-old Colon (12-7) carried a two-hitter into the eighth and took over the team lead in wins as New York began a pivotal 10-game homestand by winning for the fifth time in its past six.The only other time he got two hits in a game was in August 2002 with the Montreal Expos against Milwaukee.Colon just seems to own us, Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said. We cant square the ball up off of him.The pudgy pitcher lashed two sharp hits that delighted the crowd, a leadoff double in the fifth and a line-drive single in the sixth. He scored both times, first ahead of Flores third career slam and then in front of Cabreras second homer of the night.The switch-hitting shortstop became the first Mets player to go deep from both sides in one game since Carlos Beltran at Colorado on May 12, 2011.Its not easy, but Im excited that happened, Cabrera said.A tiring Colon gave up four straight hits to start the eighth but walked off the mound to a warm ovation and acknowledged the crowd by patting his glove and pointing two fingers.It means a lot. It took me back to my Cleveland days, when it was a sellout every time I went on the mound, and we feed off the energy, Colon said through a translator.Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-8) gave up two homers on his first five pitches but recovered. He was trailing 2-1 when Neil Walker, just back from the paternity leave list after the birth of a baby girl, worked a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth.Flores reached down and lofted the next delivery over the fence in left-center. He was summoned out of the dugout for a curtain call.It feels good, Flores said. They make you feel good every time you do something special.Morgan, who has dropped eight straight decisions, allowed eight hits and struck out eight in five innings. He was fortunate to avoid a serious injury, too, when he barely ducked out of the way of Yoenis Cespedes screaming line drive.Morgan, hit by a line drive earlier this season, spun around and crouched in front of the mound as he caught his breath. The crowd let out a trio of collective groans as the big video board showed three replays of the ball whizzing just above Morgans head.I just know that Im learning. I see improvements. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different, but I see improvements, Morgan said.CHART CLIMBINGWith his 230th career win, Colon passed Luis Tiant for third-most by a pitcher born in Latin America. Dennis Martinez had 245 and Juan Marichal finished with 243.START ME UPThe only other time the first two Mets hitters homered was in July 2007 when Reyes and Ruben Gotay connected against Cincinnati. Not long before Reyes went deep Friday night, Gotay homered for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League. ... Reyes hit his 23rd career leadoff homer and 18th with the Mets, tying teammate Curtis Granderson for the club record.TRAINERS ROOMMets: CF Justin Ruggiano struck out twice and then left in the sixth with left shoulder discomfort. He was replaced by Alejandro De Aza, who drew a leadoff walk to start a three-run sixth. ... RF Jay Bruce struck out all four times, drawing boos from the home crowd. Bruce was back in the lineup after missing Thursday nights victory in St. Louis. He left Wednesday nights game with cramping in his right calf.UP NEXTPhillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (10-7, 3.60 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Saturday night against Noah Syndergaard (11-7, 2.61). Hellickson, set to make his fourth start this season against the Mets, has won four consecutive decisions overall and six of his last seven. Syndergaard, who is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three career starts against Philadelphia, is coming off eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball at San Francisco on Sunday. Discount Chicago Bears Jerseys .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Sherrick McManis Jersey . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. http://www.cheapbearsjerseyssale.com/?tag=adrian-amos-jersey-sale . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. Ben Braunecker Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Tom Waddle Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter have retired. So too, for now, has Alex Rodriguez. And in a few weeks, David Ortiz will begin his life after baseball.Somehow, though, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry will go on.Over the past few years, the age-old grudge match has cooled. And with the teams coming together for a four-game series beginning Thursday night at Fenway Park, Yankees beat writer Andrew Marchand and Red Sox beat writer Scott Lauber discuss when the rivalry might be great again.Marchand: The rivalry may be returning to its glory much earlier than anticipated. The first real ingredient that revs up Yankees-Red Sox is both teams being really, really good. This year, they are pretty good. The Red Sox look to be better. But Boston has so many young players and, with their financials, could have a pretty awesome run on the horizon. With the Yankees becoming sellers on the deadline, their farm system is suddenly among the best in baseball. Plus, they are saving up all their nickels and dimes and will likely be big spenders in the next two or three years. It could get very cool in a hurry.Lauber: Want to know why the rivalry has, in the words of one Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (remember him?), lost a little bit of its luster? Try this: The Yanks and Sox havent made the playoffs in the same year since 2009 and havent won a postseason game in the same season since 2007. So, yeah, were a long way from Aaron (Bleeping) Boone and Jason Variteks mitt in A-Rods mug. Will Gary Sanchez ever feel such animosity for Yoan Moncada, and vice versa? Dueling for a division title or two would certainly help them get there. And to your point, Andrew, both teams are finally moving in the right direction, with younger, more homegrown cores. It might take another few years, but the rivalry is ripe for a renaissance.Marchand: I think it could be quicker. They are both on the verge of becoming, to borrow a Brian Cashman line, uber teams. You are right, that is what makes the rivalry run. There also needs to be big personalities. With A-Rod, Jeter and Mo gone, the Yankees dont have those legendary players. If a Bryce Harper is added to the collection in 2019, that will add spice. But I think Yankees and Red Sox fans are watching Moncada vs. Sanchez, etc. to see who can build a team more organically.Lauber: Yeah, Big Papis impending retirement doesnt exactly help in the big-personality department either. That said, the Steinbrenners deep pockets have always been a tried-and-true way to stoke the rivalry. And if the Yankees buy Harper (Why stop there? Manny Maachado, anyone?) after the 2018 season, it will go a long way toward stirring the pot again.dddddddddddd Heres the thing, though: The rivalry has always been heated among fans, but when it was at its frenzied peak during the 2003 and 04 postseasons, players on both sides seemed to genuinely dislike each other, too. With so many new, fresh faces on the teams, Im not sure youre going to see those feelings take root until David Price comes up-and-in on Sanchez in a big game, a la Pedro Martinez with Jeter and Jorge Posada.Marchand: No, you cant force the rivalry. We in the media (present parties excluded, of course) have sometimes ginned it up when its not really there. I would presume the bosses think it sells, but the fans know when it is real and when it is not. The players do, too. When you go in the clubhouse, most guys will give you the boilerplate answers that might be trite but work well enough in a story. However, when it is the real deal, you get the Whos your daddy? chants or all the A-Rod episodes. Thats what separates it. Still, the fans and media egging it on does create tension that eventually can explode on the field. It does take time. I do think a rebirth is upon us, but baseball is a funny game, making it difficult to predict when and how the heat will be added.Lauber: Oh, I dont think either of us are advocating that the honchos quit putting Yankees-Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball three times a year. (As if anything could really stop that from happening!) As Red Sox manager John Farrell said during A-Rods awkward final week at Fenway, the rivalry doesnt stop just because the faces change -- whether its Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, or Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk, or Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs, or Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez, or Karim Garcia and, well, you get the idea. And before the next generation takes over, Big Papi might have a few parting shots in the next couple weeks.Marchand: I agree, but I feel the next chapter is approaching a lot more quickly than it was before the trade deadline. The Red Sox looked like they were going in the right direction, but now the Yankees do too, on several levels. It should make it very fun in the next few years -- and, yes, this week.Lauber: Indeed, lets hope a few of those fresh faces (Im looking at you, Sanchez, and you, AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts)?step up and do something dramatic this week. The rivalry can certainly use a boost. 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