In the Coorsiest Game Ever Played, The Mets (65-56) outslugged the Rockies (49-71) en route to a 14-9 win in the series opener, stretching their NL East lead to 5 games.
Bartolo Colon struggled on the mound, allowing 7 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks in 3.2 innings, striking out 1 and serving up 3 home runs. Colon was hit on his pitching arm (even the pitchers were hitting Bartolo in this one) while bunting in the 2nd inning, but stayed in the game.
The Mets grabbed an early lead against Jon Gray at Coors Field, getting the better of the rookie who had stifled them in Queens a week earlier. Yoenis Cespedes doubled with 2 out in the top of the first, and Lucas Duda singled him home. Duda would later exit the game due to unknown reasons (stay tuned— UPDATE: Duda’s previously injured back “locked up,” and he may go on the DL).
The Rockies got that run back on a solo shot from Carlos Gonzalez in the bottom of the first that would have done more damage had Colon not picked off Charlie Blackmon (who was ruled safe until the call was overturned after review) following his leadoff single.
The Mets exploded in the top of the second. A single from Kelly Johnson, a walk worked by Michael Conforto, and Gray’s drilling of Bartolo loaded the bases. Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy each drove in a run with singles that moved everybody up a base, before Cespedes unloaded the bases with a grand slam that scraped the top of the high fence in right field and put the Mets up 7-1.
Ben Paulsen homered to make it 7-2 in the bottom of the second, after which Terry Collins and the trainer came out to check on Bartolo’s wrist. Colon stayed in the game, but after barely escaping further damage in the second (a Wilmer Flores error only made his job harder), the big righty gave back two more runs in the third on an RBI double by Nolan Arenado and a single from DJ LeMahieu which brought him home.
Cespedes homered again in the top of the fourth to make it 8-4, but after Blackmon doubled and CarGo walked in the bottom of the frame, Arenado sent a three-run shot over the wall in left with two outs to end Colon’s night.
Sean Gilmartin got the final out in the fourth, but a leadoff single by LeMahieu and a triple from Nick Hundley tied the score at 8 and Colorado found themselves with the go-ahead run 90 feet away with none out in the fifth inning. Gilmartin fanned the next batter for the first out, and then escaped the jam when Kyle Parker flied out and Curtis Granderson gunned down Hundley trying to score (the play was very close and was subjected to a lengthy review, but the umpires confirmed the call for the third out).
After Daniel Murphy walked with one out in the sixth, Cespedes launched his third homer of the game to put the Mets back in front 10-8. Back-to-back solo shots from Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto off of former Met Gonzalez Germen put the visitors up 12-8 in the seventh. Colorado got one run back against Hansel Robles after the Stretch on a double by Arenado, a balk,and an RBI groundout.
Cespedes had a shot at a 4-HR game, but instead poked a single through the hole for his fifth hit of the night leading off the top of the eighth. Cespedes then stole second and scored on a Wilmer Flores double. Tyler Clippard tossed a scoreless eighth, and after Murphy’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly drove in Uribe following his leadoff double, Cespedes finally made an out, rocketing one to the gap in right-center that was flagged down by CarGo.
Jeurys Familia shut the door in the bottom of the ninth to wrap up a 14-9 victory for the Mets.
Coors Field is a very odd place. No lead is safe. Each run means very little. Fortunately, the Mets made sure to pour it on after blowing their initial lead, and grabbed a victory out West.
How awesome was Cespedes tonight? Allowing him to completely win us over is like letting your kid name an animal you know will only be around for a day, but… Sandy, can we keep him? Please? (Seriously, pay the man.)
I thought it was absolutely huge that Gilmartin (and Granderson) somehow got out of the 5th inning without allowing the Rockies to take the lead despite having a runner on third with no outs. In previous years, the Mets would be the team squandering that opportunity at the plate, not putting out the fire on the other side.
Cespedes was the main story, but d’Arnaud’s homer provided some valuable insurance and should boost his confidence as he looks to re-find his rhythm following his length DL stint, and the ball Conforto hit was an absolute rocket. Nice to see that from our young hitters.
Colon was dreadful tonight. Part of it may have been due to the HBP. The Mets need him to be healthy, and to be acceptably good. His role from here on out is to provide a bunch of palatable innings down the stretch to keep our young pitchers’ arms intact for what has become a temptingly feasible playoff run.
I hate seeing guys like Clippard and Familia (and to a far lesser extent Robles) used when the Mets have pretty comfortable leads. We should be trying to save these guys for when we need a zero late in a close game. Coors Field is obviously a unique ballpark, but if Carlos Torres can’t pitch the ninth with a 5-run lead, he shouldn’t be in the MLB, no matter what stadium he’s pitching in. As Dillon Gee would say: Wasted Bullets.
The news about Duda stinks. Hopefully this back injury doesn’t keep reoccurring for the rest of the season (or worse, beyond). We need his big bat in the lineup down the stretch, but it looks like he’ll miss some time.
It was a bit closer than it seemed like it would be early on, but winning a game in which your 5th starter pitchers (horribly) is always nice. Let’s take the series tomorrow.
Up Next: The Mets will play the Rockies at 8:10 on Saturday night at Coors Field. Jon Niese (7-9, 3.50 ERA) will face Chris Rusin (4-5, 3.99 ERA)
