Jose Buttó thrives in relief as Mets beat Rockies 7-3

NEW YORK (AP) Jose Buttó continued to thrive out of the bullpen Saturday, throwing 2 2/3 innings of solid relief and earning the win as the New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 to tie a season-high by moving four games over .500.

Francisco Lindor provided insurance with a three-run homer in the eighth as the Mets (49-45) climbed four games over .500 for the first time since they were 12-8 on April 20.

Buttó (4-3) posted a 3.08 ERA in his first seven starts this season but still has options and was sent to Triple-A Syracuse May 15. He was recalled July 2 to help shore up a struggling bullpen and is 3-0 with one save while not being scored upon in his first four relief appearances.

He made just 15 relief appearances as a professional prior to his recall.

“When we sent him down, right away, he said, ‘I’ll do whatever. If you need me to pitch out of the bullpen, I’ll do it,’” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I was like, ‘You’re going to go down to Triple-A and you’re going to be a starter.’ But right away, you could tell that he wanted to be here in the big leagues, he wanted to be a part of this team. And now here he is, getting an opportunity and he’s stepping up big-time.”

Buttó got eight outs within the first seven batters he faced Saturday - the right-hander relieved Christian Scott in the fifth and induced Elias Díaz to hit into an inning-ending double play - before opening the eighth by allowing a single to Ezequiel Tovar and walking Ryan McMahon.

“The first thing I learned is we’ve got to be ready for any situation,” said Buttó, who has pitched between the fifth and ninth in his four appearances. “You’ve got to be ready to help the team win games.”

Dedniel Núñez, who began the season at Syracuse and is in the midst of his third stint with the Mets, got Diaz to hit into a double play and retired Brenton Doyle on a pop-up. Núñez then threw a perfect ninth inning to earn his first career save and lower his ERA to 2.35 in 21 appearances.

“Guys that really want to be here and they’re going to do whatever it takes to help us win,” Lindor said of Buttó and Núñez. “I’m just happy that they get a chance to do it day-in and day-out and help the Mets win games.”

Nine pitchers have earned a save this season for the Mets, tied for the second-most in franchise history with the 1979 team. Ten pitchers earned a save for the Mets in 1982.

The Mets scored four times in the second via a two-run throwing error by Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers and Jeff McNeil’s two-run double.

Jake Cave and Charlie Blackmon homered for the Rockies off Mets rookie Christian Scott, who remained winless as a big leaguer after allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings. He is the fourth Mets pitcher to open his career without a victory in his first eight starts and the first since John Pacella in 1979-80.

The Rockies’ Ryan Feltner (1-9) surrendered four runs (three earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Feltner struck out the side on just 13 pitches in the first inning but threw 39 pitches in the second, when the Mets batted around and drew three walks.

“Tale of wavering innings,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Punched out the side in the first and then the second, it sort of unraveled.”

Feltner is 0-8 with a 5.73 ERA in 16 starts since earning his lone win April 12.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF Nolan Jones (lower back strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Friday. It’s the second stint on the IL with a back injury this season for Jones, who missed 41 games from April 29 through June 14. To replace Jones on the roster, the Rockies recalled OF Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque. … Colorado also recalled RHP Angel Chivilli from Double-A Hartford and optioned RHP Tanner Gordon to Albuquerque. Gordon took the loss Friday and has a 10.61 ERA in his first two big league starts.

Mets: RHP Drew Smith (right elbow) underwent a full Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure Friday and will likely be out until 2026. Smith, an impending free agent, last pitched June 23 and went 1-1 with two saves and a 3.06 ERA this season. … OF Harrison Bader, who hurt his neck crashing into a wall on July 2, entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh and went 0-for-1. IF Jose Iglesias, who has been battling the flu this week, didn’t play. Both players hit two homers in Friday’s 7-6 win. “Tough league, huh?” Mendoza said with a grin. “Guys hitting two homers and they’re not in the lineup.”

UP NEXT

The teams conclude the first half Sunday afternoon, when Rockies RHP Germán Márquez (season debut) returns from Tommy John surgery to oppose Mets LHP Jose Quintana (4-5, 3.91 ERA). Márquez last pitched for Colorado on April 26, 2023.

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