The New York Mets (31-41) lost the four-game series to the Colorado Rockies (37-38) with a 6-4 defeat Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. It was their third loss in a row and it capped off a 3-7 road trip. The Mets now lead the Marlins by a mere five games in the loss column with this defeat.

Pitching

Steven Matz struggled to find his rhythm versus the Rockies this afternoon. DJ LeMahieu led the game off with a double. After hitting Charlie Blackmon with a pitch, Matz gave up a three-run homerun to Nolan Arenado to give the Rox a 3-1 lead. The next batter Trevor Story doubled followed by a walk to Ian Desmond to give the Rockies runners on first and second with still no out. Matz struck out Chris Iannetta for the first out and got Gerardo Parra to ground into an inning double play.

In the second inning the Rockies got to Matz again. With Blackmon on first and LeMahieu on second with one out, Arrenado hit a two-run double to extend the Rockies lead to 5-1. Arrenado drove in all five runs for the Rockies through the second inning.

Matz had an uneventful third inning but found himself in trouble in the fourth. After striking out the pitcher, LeMahieu hit a ground ball to third that Todd Frazier appeared to just barely miss. The play was ruled an error. Blackmon then singled advancing DJ to second base with one out with today’s menace, Arenado, coming to the dish. Matz struck out Arenado for the second out but both base runners were able to pull off a double steal putting runners in scoring position for Trevor Story. Story hit a scorching ground ball to third but Frazier was able to make the play throwing him out with a long throw across the diamond.

Matz got the first two hitters out in the sixth inning but was double switched out of game. Steven Matz ended his afternoon with a 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO. Matz threw 97 pitches of which 67 of them were for strikes.

Tim Peterson came in relief of Matz with two outs in the sixth and struck out LeMahieu to end the frame. Peterson would come back out to pitch the seventh inning facing the heart of the Rocky lineup. He got Blackmon to ground out, Arenado to pop out, and struck out Story to end the inning keeping the score 5-2 in favor of the Rockies.

Paul Sewald took the mound in the eighth inning in relief of Peterson. He walked Desmond to start inning and gave up a single to Iannetta which advanced Desmond to third. Sewald was removed from the game with the lefty coming up to bat.

Jerry Blevins came in relief of Sewald with runners on the corners with no outs to face Parra. Blevins got Parra to fly out but the ball was deep enough to score Desmond which extended the Rockies lead to 6-3. Blevins struck out Noel Cuevas but walked pinch hitter Carlos Gonzalez which would end the afternoon for Blevins.

Chris Flexen was called from the pen to face LeMahieu with runners on first and second with two out in the eighth inning and got him to fly out to end the inning.

Hitting

The Mets opened up the scoring in the first inning as number two hitter Todd Frazier hit a solo homerun off Rockies starter Kyle Freeland.

Amed Rosario led off the third inning with a single and advanced to second on a Matz sacrifice bunt. Brandon Nimmo would drive in Rosario with a RBI single making the score 5-2 in favor of the Rockies. Frazier would end up hitting an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

With a runner on first and one out in the fourth Jose Bautista struck out on a questionable pitch high in the strike zone prompting him to express his displeasure to the umpire. The next two batters reached base as Kevin Plawecki singled and Jose Reyes walked to load the bases for Rosario. Rosario hit a ball that appeared to be headed in the Bermuda Triangle but a hustling LeMahieu made a spectacular running grab to end the threat and the frame.

The Mets went down in order for the fifth inning and grounded into double plays in each of the sixth and seventh innings.

Frazier led off the eighth inning with a single to center off lefty Rockies reliever Chris Rusin. Michael Conforto hit a belt high pitch to center field for a single which advanced Frazier to third with no one out. Frazier would score on a Wilmer Flores sacrifice fly to cut the Rockies lead to 5-3. The inning would end when pinch hitter Devin Mesoraco hit into the fifth double play of the game which tied the franchise record.

Kevin Plawecki hit his first career triple to lead off the ninth. Reyes grounded out scoring Plawecki to cut the Rockies to 6-4. Rosario flied to right for the second out.

Dominic Smith fell behind the count 0-2 but hit a double off Rockies fill-in closer Jake McGee. Representing the tying run, Brandon Nimmo struck out to end the game and road trip.

Frazier, Conforto, Smith and Plawecki each ended up with two hits on the day.

On Deck

The Mets return home and will face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game set. Zack Wheeler (2-5, 4.82 ERA) takes the hill as the Mets look to improve their 13-21 record at Citi Field this season. The Dodgers will counter with lefty Alex Wood (2-5, 4.22 ERA) as they try to claw their way back on top the NL West. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.