Diamondbacks-Mets postponed by rain in 4th inning

NEW YORK (AP) Aaron Hill was ready to wait all night to get this game in.

Hill had a two-run homer wiped out by a rain storm that postponed the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets in the fourth inning on Friday night after a delay of 2 hours, 11 minutes.

''To get a win ... yeah,'' Hill said. ''We need a few of those.''

The game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday. The first game will start at 1:10 p.m. Manager Kirk Gibson said the Diamondbacks, who are in last place in the NL West at 18-31, will likely call up a pitcher for the makeup start Sunday.

The Mets will go with Daisuke Matsuzaka in the second game of the traditional twinbill. Rafael Montero will make his regularly scheduled start in the opener against Bronson Arroyo.

Matsuzaka has been pitching out of the bullpen this season but the converted starter doesn't see going deep into the game as a problem.

''I pitched yesterday but just one inning, did not throw too many pitches,'' Matsuzaka said through a translator. ''I do not think 100 pitches should be a problem''

The Diamondbacks are flying back to Arizona after the game Sunday. They host the San Diego Padres on Monday night but the doubleheader was the only option for the teams that do not meet again this season. They have no common days off the rest of the way.

''I'd rather stay,'' and wait it out, Gibson said, ''but I can see it was raining.''

Last season's series between the teams at Citi Field was also plagued by rain.

''Good old New York,'' Hill said.

Hill gave Arizona the lead in the second inning with a homer off Bartolo Colon that just cleared the fence in left field. Rookie Chase Anderson allowed one hit and a walk in his third big league start for the Diamondbacks.

Dark clouds rolled in during the bottom of the third inning and the public address announcer made a request for fans sitting in exposed areas to move to protected areas.

After Colon pitched a perfect fourth, the grounds crew brought out the tarp and rain began to fall shortly after.

The Mets swept the Diamondbacks in a three-game series in Arizona April 14-16, but the teams are in very different places now. The Mets are 6-14 in May while the D-backs are 9-9 even though they were just dropped three straight at St. Louis.

Hill connected on a two-seam fastball from Colon after Miguel Montero led off with a nubber up the third base line for a hit. Mets manager Terry Collins before the game talked about how Colon, who turns 41 Saturday, needs to use his off-speed pitches more to be effective. He started out Hill with a slider then threw him four straight two-seamers.

Colon has had an up and down start to his first year in New York. He gave up two runs in eight innings in his previous start, a win over Washington, but yielded seven runs in 5 2-3 innings against the Yankees five days earlier. He entered 3-5 with a 5.34 ERA.

Anderson gave up a two-out single to David Wright in the first and walked former Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young leading off the second. Wilmer Flores grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning and Anderson was perfect in the third.

''I felt like I was starting to roll after that third inning,'' Anderson said. ''If we went to the fourth, fifth, I felt pretty good.''

NOTES: Mets C Travis d'Arnaud (concussion) took BP on the field. His next step before getting MLB doctor's approval is catching a bullpen session. When he is finally cleared to play in games, Collins thinks d'Arnaud will need 8-10 rehab at-bats. ... Diamondbacks RHP J.J. Putz (forearm strain) has been playing long toss and is nearing a bullpen session, Gibson says there is no timetable yet for his return. ... Gibson was watching on a TV in his office his son Cam play in the Big Ten baseball tournament. Cam had four hits in a win over Illinois. ... Up Next: Arizona's Josh Collmenter (2-2) is scheduled to face New York's Zack Wheeler (1-4) Saturday.