NEW YORK -- Terry Collins sat in the Citi Field interview room and answered the first question after the New York Mets' latest embarrassing defeat, a 9-0 wipeout against Arizona on Thursday that dropped them back to .500 for the first time since April.
The manager spoke for 3 minutes, 27 seconds, his voice rising with emotion, his hands gesturing, tapping his chest and the table in front of him during a brutal assessment of his players' desire and professionalism.
"Starting tomorrow we're going to get after it here and those who don't want to get after it, I will find somebody else who does," he said, "because in Las Vegas there's a whole clubhouse filled with guys who want to sit in this room and I'll find them. That's all I got to say."
Following that threat to call up players from the minor leagues, Collins arose, walked back down the corridor to his clubhouse and held a team meeting that lasted about 20 minutes.
The last-place Diamondbacks rolled to a three-game sweep, rattling Noah Syndergaard with four more stolen bases and breaking open the game in a six-run sixth inning against Jon Niese that included Chris Owings' bases-loaded triple (see full recap).
A-Rod records RBI in Yankees' win
BOSTON -- Alex Rodriguez drove in a run with a bases-loaded dribbler, capping a three-run rally in the eighth inning that lifted the New York Yankees over the Red Sox 4-2 Thursday night and sent the booed designated hitter out of Boston with one last victory.
Rodriguez is set to play his final game for the Yankees on Friday night at home against Tampa Bay. The 41-year-old designated hitter will then be released and become an adviser and instructor for the club.
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Rodriguez was 0 for 4 and loudly jeered throughout the game, which turned in the Yankees' favor on a crucial fielding mistake that allowed them to overcome a 2-1 deficit and take two out of three in the series.
Rodriguez lined out, popped out and struck out before his tapper in front of the plate in the eighth allowed Brett Gardner to score from third and put New York up 4-2.
In 1994, Rodriguez was a teenager with Seattle when he got an infield single at Fenway Park for his first major league hit (see full recap).
Rockies rally to beat Rangers in slugfest
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Pinch-hitter Carlos Gonzalez delivered a bases-clearing double that capped a five-run rally in the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies held on this time, beating the Texas Rangers 12-9 Thursday.
The AL West-leading Rangers had won five in a row.
After David Dahl drew a bases-loaded walk from hard-throwing Matt Bush with two outs to tie it at 9, Gonzalez doubled into the left-center gap. The three-run drive came in his first appearance since he sprained an ankle Monday night.
The Rockies had lost three in row to Texas, which had scored the deciding runs in the eighth inning or later in each of those victories.
Texas trailed 4-0 early, but got even at 7 when Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back homers to start the seventh. Elvis Andrus had an RBI double later in the inning after twice failing to get down a bunt, and another run came home on Ian Desmond's grounder to make it 9-7.
But Colorado regained the lead in the eighth when lefty Jake Diekman (3-2) gave up a walk and consecutive singles to left-handers before Bush relieved him (see full recap).
