Major League Baseball

Mets' Reyes leaves game against Yankees

Published Jul. 2, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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From the moment Jose Reyes left the game with a leg injury, the New York Mets looked lifeless.

Now, they can only hope he heals faster than in the past.

''I'm concerned about it, obviously. You sensed it not only in the dugout, you sensed it in the stands. The air came out of the bubble,'' Mets manager Terry Collins said after his team's 5-2 loss to the Yankees on Saturday. ''Right now, we'll wait until tomorrow to see what it is and then we'll reassess what we're going to do to replace him. I'm sure once we hear from the doctor what's going to go on, we'll make some decisions.''

Bartolo Colon came off the disabled list to pitch six shutout innings and Eduardo Nunez homered in his latest big game at the plate, leading the Yankees to their season-best seventh consecutive victory.

Dillon Gee had one messy inning and Reyes left in the third with tightness in his left hamstring, taking the starch out of the suddenly slumping Mets. After setting a club record by scoring 52 runs in a four-game stretch, they've managed only five while losing their past three.

Leading the majors in hitting, Reyes was scheduled for an MRI on Sunday morning and it appears likely he will miss the Subway Series finale as the Mets try to avoid a sweep.

''Every time I injure my leg, I have to be worried because it's my leg. Legs are a big part of my game,'' Reyes said. ''Hopefully, the MRI will show no damage tomorrow and I'll be fine in a couple of days.''

The star shortstop felt tightness in his hamstring while beating out an infield single in the first inning and then had a timid break for second on a full-count pitch to Carlos Beltran. The Mets said Reyes was removed as a precaution in the top of the third.

Reyes has been one of baseball's best players this season. He began the day leading the majors with a .352 batting average, 123 hits and 15 triples. He also led the NL with 65 runs scored. The speedy switch-hitter can become a free agent after the World Series.

Reyes has a history of leg injuries that limited the leadoff man to 53 games in 2004 and 36 games in 2009, but he said this is the first problem he's had with his left hamstring.

''It's not too much pain. I feel it a little bit,'' Reyes said. ''I didn't want to blow my hamstring again because I've been through a lot with that.''

Held scoreless for the first five innings, the Yankees touched up Gee (8-2) with four straight sharp hits in a four-run sixth before a Citi Field-record crowd of 42,042.

Curtis Granderson lifted a 1-2 pitch to right for his 22nd home run before Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez singled. Robinson Cano ripped a two-run triple into the right-field corner and Nick Swisher followed with a sacrifice fly.

''I just made a few bad pitches,'' Gee said. ''They're a good team, so that's what can happen. They can jump on you in one inning.''

Nunez added a solo homer off Tim Byrdak in the ninth to make it 5-0. Nunez also had a pair of doubles after going 4 for 4 with an RBI in Friday night's 5-1 victory.

The only time the Mets retired him it took a spectacular, diving catch by second baseman Justin Turner.

Subbing at shortstop for injured Derek Jeter, Nunez is 7 for 8 with a homer and three doubles in the first two games of the weekend series.

''Should have been 8 for 8. And if that catch isn't made, that might have been a triple,'' Teixeira said. ''This is an impressive two days for him in his first starts in the Subway Series.''

The sixth-inning outburst provided more than enough support for the 38-year-old Colon (6-3), who picked up right where he left off in his first start since June 11. The husky right-hander strained his left hamstring in a 4-0 victory over Cleveland while covering first base on a groundout.

Colon was on his game from the outset in this one, setting down 13 in a row after Reyes reached on that infield single to start the first.

Throwing 95 mph fastballs with his revitalized arm, the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked none. He gave up five hits, four singles, and clapped his pitching hand into his glove after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth when Gee bounced into a double play.

Colon is 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his last four starts, holding his opponent scoreless three times.

''That's as good as I've ever seen him, and I've seen him really good,'' Collins said.

Cory Wade tossed two scoreless innings and Sergio Mitre gave up RBI groundouts to Jason Bay and Lucas Duda in the ninth.

NOTES: Ruben Tejada replaced Reyes at shortstop. ... The Mets are 3 for 24 (.125) with runners in scoring position over the last three games. During the four games before that, they batted .484 (30 for 62) in those situations. ... The Mets signed 16-year-old Jose Garcia, a switch-hitting catcher from Venezuela, to a minor league contract. ... The Mets had won 11 of Gee's first 12 starts this season. ... The Mets are 2-6 against the Yankees at Citi Field, which opened in 2009. The Yankees have won 14 of the last 20 meetings overall, including four of five this year. ... Mets CF Angel Pagan turned 30.

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