The New York Mets (9-16) have won a series! Yes, as hard as that may seem to believe, it’s true. It wasn’t pretty, but the Mets took two of three from the Minnesota Twins, capped off by a three-run, bases-clearing double from Bo Bichette that helped them get over the hump on Thursday.

They will look to continue their winning run against the Colorado Rockies (10-16), who recently took a series over the Los Angeles Dodgers at home. While they have been good at Coors Field (7-6), they are just 3-10 on the road. The Mets will look to take advantage of that.

Let’s take a look at some pitching notes ahead of the three matchups this weekend.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

PITCHING MATCHUPS

  • Friday: Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 7.48 ERA) vs. Freddy Peralta (1-2, 4.05 ERA): Lorenzen joined the Rockies in the offseason after spending last season with the Kansas City Royals. Early on, the results have been a mixed bag. Nine of his 18 earned runs allowed came in one start against Philadelphia Phillies on April 3. Lorenzen is coming off a decent outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sunday, allowing three runs over five innings. I think it’s safe to say Mets fans have yet to see the best from Peralta. His numbers have been better of late, pitching to a 3.32 ERA in the month of April. But as the ace of the staff, many were hoping for more than one quality start over his first five. Peralta will look to collect another one against the Rockies, a team he is 4-2 against in his career.
  • Saturday: José Quintana (0-2, 6.23 ERA) vs. Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83 ERA): Quintana, a member of the Mets team that reached the NLCS in 2024, will make his second return to Citi Field. His last start in Queens came as a Milwaukee Brewer, allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings in July last season. The Rockies are 0-3 in Quintana starts and are averaging 2.33 runs per game with him on the mound. Senga’s role in the Mets’ rotation is in danger of drastically changing. His last two starts have been as bad as advertised; he has a 20.65 ERA over 5 2/3 innings during that stretch. His ghost fork has remained effective despite using it less often. The same cannot be said about his cutter. Opponents are hitting .471 with a .824 slugging percentage against it, including two home runs.
  • Sunday: TBD vs. Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.28 ERA): The Rockies have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s game. However, Chase Dollander is in line to pitch on normal rest. Colorado has exclusively used him as a bulk reliever early on this season. Dollander is coming off his best outing, allowing one run over six innings with nine strikeouts against the San Diego Padres last Tuesday. McLean has continued to pitch at the level he showcased at the end of last season. He enters this weekend with three-straight quality starts, pitching to a 2.70 ERA over that stretch. Can’t ask for much more than that from your young ace. McLean is off to an unbelievable start to his career, pitching to a 1.70 ERA over his first seven home starts.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

The Mets were forced to play without Juan Soto for a couple weeks. He’s back, but they will now be without Francisco Lindor for what could be an extended period of time. That’s not ideal for a lineup averaging 3.52 runs per game, tied for the second-worst mark in baseball. Can they survive without Lindor? Who will step up in his absence? Bichette is a name to watch, as he is coming off his first multi-hit game since April 11. They will need more from Francisco Álvarez, who will continue to hit in the middle of the order for the time being. Everyone needs to step up without the All-Star shortstop available, especially as they attempt to climb out of the bottom of the National League.

PREDICTION

The Mets have been far from convincing, even in the two wins against the Twins this week. That being said, Peralta and McLean are set to pitch in this series and the Rockies have struggled on the road. I think the Mets continue to marginally improve, winning two of three against Colorado.