The Mets slugged their way back to take the lead before ultimately falling to the Rockies 10-7 in game two of a three-game series from Coors Field in Colorado.
Here are the takeaways…
1. Justin Verlander took the ball for the Mets on Saturday night. The veteran entered with previous success at Coors Field to the tune of a 1.20 ERA. The right-hander worked quickly in an eight-pitch first inning, retiring the first two hitters on just three pitches.
An inning later, however, Colorado scratched out at-bats throughout the order for the game’s first runs. Nolan Jones plated Randal Grichuk with the third single of the inning. One batter later, Alan Trejo poked a double down the right-field line to score another run. With the bases loaded, Charlie Blackmon dug out a slider on the inner half for another double and two more runs for the Rockies.
After another run came across for the Rockies in the third inning, Verlander made an athletic play after a comebacker from Trejo deflected off of the pitcher’s shin to find the ball and throw home to get Harold Castro. Verlander battled back to get through five innings with back-to-back scoreless frames.
2. Through the early frames, Chase Anderson was just as good for Colorado. The right-hander pitched to contact early for quick outs against New York. Francisco Alvarez momentarily sparked the Mets with a double to right center field and slid in safely to third base before replay review showed him slide off the base as Ryan McMahon kept the tag applied. The Mets did get on the board in the fourth when Pete Alonso cracked the 20-home run plateau with a 415-foot shot to left field.
3. At the time, New York’s best chance for a big inning came in the fifth after Mark Canha and Mark Vientos reached to start the inning. Anderson stepped up to force Alvarez to pop out. Nimmo struck out before Castro robbed Francisco Lindor of extra bases with a sliding catch in the gap to end the inning and strand the runners.
For the second straight inning in the sixth, two straight runners reached for the Mets to begin the frame. This time, New York cashed in as Brett Baty delivered a run-scoring double to left center and put runners on second and third with nobody out. Starling Marte followed with a groundout to score Alonso and cut the lead in half at 6-3. A Vientos single later in the inning brought the tying run to the plate with Jake Bird entering in relief for Colorado for the second straight day. In this at-bat, Alvarez redeemed his slide from earlier on the night as he demolished a three-run home run to left field to even the score. New York erased an early 6-0 deficit. After the Rockies posted five runs in the second, the Mets rallied for a five-run frame of their own.
4. After a series of crucial at-bats over multiple innings, Marte put the Mets in front for the first time in the game through the rain at Coors Field with an RBI single to right to bring home Jeff McNeil.
In the back-and-forth nature of Saturday’s contest, the Rockies immediately responded in the bottom of the frame on a two-run go-ahead home run from McMahon to the second deck in right field off of Jeff Brigham.
5. Justin Lawrence found a rhythm in relief, retiring the Mets in order in the top of the eighth. The reliever entered with a 2.33 ERA as part of a bullpen that had Colorado 19-0 when leading after seven innings entering play on Saturday. Jurickson Profar added an insurance run with an RBI triple then scored on a single from Elias Diaz.
Pierce Johnson came on for the save and set down the Mets in order to close out the 10-7 win for Colorado.
Highlights
What’s Next
The Mets close out the three-game series in Colorado on Sunday afternoon against the Rockies. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. on SNY.
Tylor Megill will face lefty Austin Gomber.
