Dan Warthen, the Mets’ pitching coach, stayed in the dugout as the first signs of trouble came for Bartolo Colon. St. Louis’s leadoff batter, Kolten Wong, lined a single into center, and the Cardinals kept making solid contact, but Colon had a history of working out of these situations.
Only in the fourth inning, when Colon issued a ball four, did Warthen head for the mound. That was truly a cause for a concern.
All the Mets infielders gathered to hear what Warthen had to say to Colon, who had not issued a walk in 481/3 consecutive innings to set a franchise record.