Game #112: Mets 2, Rockies 1

Break out the brooms, we've got some snow to sweep up!

(NYDailyNews.com)

Dillon Gee out-dueled Jeff Manship and the Mets eked just enough offense out to sweep the Rockies 2-1.

The Good Stuff:

• Dillon Gee drove himself further on the road to the future, tossing 7.2 innings of one-run, eight-hit ball, walking no one and striking out three on only 87 pitches. Without the single he gave up towards the end of the 8th, he would've been on pace to match Matt Harvey's complete game from last night.
• After Scott Rice walked Troy Tulowitzki, David Aardsma was brought on to retire Michael Cuddyer, which he did on a flyout to left.
• LaTroy Hawkins nailed down the 9th for his second save of the year.
• If you missed the 4th inning, you missed a whole lot. Corey Dickerson powered Colorado's only run with a solo homer off Gee, and the New York bats responded with two in the bottom of the frame: singles by Daniel Murphy and Marlon Byrd, followed by Ike Davis's walk, loaded the bases for last night's hero, Wilmer Flores. It wasn't a three-run double this time, but it was a productive RBI groundout that tied the game. Anthony Recker then lifted the next pitch to center field for the go-ahead sac fly. It was an effective game of tit-for-tat, and the Mets came out on top.

The Bad Stuff:

• The Mets only had six hits on the day, none of which went for extra bases. They went 1-6 with RISP and left seven men on base.

Final Analysis:
Pitching was the story of this fun series. Jenrry Mejia, Matt Harvey, and Dillon Gee combined to let up two earned runs in a combined 22 innings, good for an 0.82 ERA. Meanwhile, Hawkins and the bullpen (sans Bobby Parnell) combined for five scoreless innings in relief. That'll do.

If Mets fans weren't excited about the team's future before this week, they should be now. The team is 28-21 in the Nieu Year and is building up a massive surplus of starting pitching. Deciding who gets a spot in the rotation will eventually become a problem, but it's the best kind of problem to have. And Dillon Gee is proving himself worthy of joining what could eventually turn into the best rotation in baseball.

MM

Game #111: Mets 5, Rockies 0

Add this to your collection of Matt Harvey facts: when Matt Harvey gets drilled by a line drive, the trainers come out to check on the ball. Credit Josh Lewin with that phrase, credit Harvey with the career night.

(NYTimes.com

Harvey tossed his first career shutout, and Wilmer Flores cleared the bases with a clutch double as the Mets thoroughly dominated the Rockies 5-0.

The Good Stuff:

• Matt Harvey knew he needed to get his pitch count down if he was to avoid being shut down Stephen Strasburg style, and all of a sudden Mr. Strikeout turned into Mr. Groundball. He allowed just four hits and walked no one, striking out six and forcing a whopping 14 groundball outs on an efficient 106 pitches. None of Colorado's hits went for extra bases, and Harvey survived getting drilled above the right knee by Charlie Blackmon on his 100th pitch to finish off Troy Tulowitzki on a popout to Daniel Murphy.
• New York handed Harvey a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Omar Quintanilla in the 2nd and John Buck in the 4th. Certainly more run support than Matt is used to, but it would take a couple more runs to really secure the night.
• Enter Wilmer Flores, who got his first major-league hit and run in the 2nd. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th, Flores worked the count to 2-2 and proceeded to punch a line drive into the left field corner, plating all three runners and giving Harvey the safety net he deserved.
• Ike Davis hit another double and drew a walk in his four plate appearances, scoring twice.

The Bad Stuff:

• Starts like this still earn just one W, although it feels like Matt could have made up at least six missed Ws tonight.

Final Analysis:
What more is there to say about Matt Harvey? The man can do it all.

(NYTimes.com)

Let's talk about the latest bat in the Mets' arsenal. At 22 years and a day, Wilmer Flores made his presence felt in the major leagues. For a franchise known for developing pitching but not necessarily hitting, Flores and eventually Travis d'Arnaud will provide a much-needed spark to back up Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and the rest of the future orange-and-blues. With David Wright entrenched at third base and a resurgent Ike Davis reclaiming first, I wonder if Daniel Murphy will end up being the odd man out when it comes to the future of the infield. Only time will tell, but Flores is certainly making a few guys sweat.

That was another fun night. We're glimpsing the future at Citi Field, and oh boy, is it grand.

MM

Game #110: Mets 3, Rockies 2

What would it take for New York to beat the Colorado Rockies? Try an avalanche of hustle from an ex-Rocky.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Eric Young saved the game with a spectacular catch in the 6th then scored the winning run from second on an infield single in the 8th as the Mets knocked off the visiting Rockies 3-2.

The Good Stuff:

• It wasn't just Marlon Byrd flying high tonight (although he had an excellent catch himself in the 8th).
• Juan Lagares knocked home two runs in the 1st on his fourth triple of the year and had his share of great defense out in center.
• The star of the game though was Eric Young, who was playing his first game against his old Colorado teammates. The Rockies tied it at 2-2 in the 6th and loaded the bases with two outs, but Todd Helton's would-be bloop single was snuffed out by a diving catch.
• EY's heroics continued in the 8th inning as he led off with a single. Daniel Murphy and Byrd each flew out, but Young tagged and advanced to second on Byrd's flyout, forcing Wilton Lopez to intentionally walk Ike Davis (more on him later). That brought up Lagares, who hit a slow nubber to second base and beat the throw for an infield single. Young, never stopping, raced around third, slid into the plate, and came up bounding like a jackalope, triumphant with the go-ahead run.
• Ike Davis continued his post-ASB resurgence, smashing two doubles and drawing two walks in four plate appearances. But his biggest moment came in the top of the 9th and capped off this Amazin' Aerial Night. LaTroy Hawkins got the first two batters of the inning to pop up, but back-to-back singles by Nolan Arendo and DJ LeMahieu put runners on the corners. That brought up Yorvit Torrealba, who smashed a line drive just foul down the first base line that Ike parlayed into a game-saving catch, putting it in the books for the home team.
• Davis, by the way, is hitting .346 and getting on base at a whopping .528 clip in the past 10 games.
• Jenrry Mejia didn't factor in the decision but had himself another solid outing, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks in 5.1 innings, striking out seven on 96 pitches.
• Carlos Torres and Scott Atchison combined for 2.2 scoreless innings in relief with Atchison picking up the W. Hawkins, of course, struggled in the 9th but picked up his first save with the Mets and just his second since 2010.

The Bad Stuff:

• Wilmer Flores received a big-league debut as a 22nd birthday present but had a rough go of it, batting 0-4 and committing a near-costly error at third base in the 6th. He'll get better.

Final Analysis:
Colorado Rockies fans were sad to see Eric Young go in June, and New York Mets fans are quickly falling for him the same way those in Denver did. Since he arrived, EY has provided a spark that, if you exclude the time we thought Jordany Valdespin would provide it (turned out to be the wrong kind of spark), the team hasn't seen since Jose Reyes's time. But Gary, Ron, and Keith have noticed it, and I have as well: Mookie Wilson lives, and his name is Eric Young, Jr. I hope this guy calls Citi Field home for a long time.

MM

Game #75: Mets 3, Rockies 2

With David Wright getting the day off, what would it take for the Mets to steal one in mile-high Denver? Just someone who spends plenty of time up in the air: a Byrd.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Marlon Byrd socked a two-run go-ahead home run in the top of the 8th to propel the Mets to a 3-2 makeup victory over the Rockies.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 2-1 in the top of the 8th, Daniel Murphy grounded a one-out single up the middle (his second hit of the afternoon). That brought up Byrd, who took the seventh pitch he saw from Matt Belisle and swung at a ball that rose and drifted all the way over the fence in left center.
• Scott Rice got through his troubles in the bottom of the 8th and handed it off to Bobby Parnell, who sat the Rockies down 1-2-3 for his second save in as many nights (his 14th of the year).
• The runs came too late for Jeremy Hefner, who picked up the no-decision after another quality start. Hef's final numbers were two runs against (one earned) on five hits in six innings, including a walk and three strikeouts on 80 pitches. Despite only winning two of his starts this month, Hefner has an ERA of 1.80 in June, putting him in line for a potential NL Pitcher of the Month.
• Hef also helped his own cause with an RBI groundout in the 5th inning.

The Bad Stuff:

• Josh Satin's throwing error led to Colorado's second, unearned run in the bottom of the 2nd.

Final Analysis:
Tomorrow night the New York Mets return home not as a 32-43 ball club, but as the conquering heroes of a 7-4 road trip. Since Kirk Nieuwenhuis's miracle blast off Carlos Marmol, the Mets have won eight of their last 12 games. All aspects of good baseball have finally synced up, as New York is getting great starting pitching, bullpen work, and clutch hitting all at once. Drink it in, fans: our summer fun has arrived.

MM

Game #14: Rockies 11, Mets 3

On a day that started out bad for Travis D'Arnaud, for his future team, it ended with a resounding "D'oh!"

The Rockies erupted for a six-run 7th to bury the Mets, 11-3, in a series that won't "officially" end until June 27.

The Bad Stuff:

(NYDailyNews.com)

• Down 3-2 in the 7th, New York turned it over to the bullpen after Jonathon Niese's quality start (see Good Stuff below). The results weren't pretty, as Josh Edgin, Scott Atchison, and the recently-promoted Jeurys Familia combined to allow six Colorado runs in that one inning, with Atchison failing to retire any of his three batters.
• In an 8th-inning tune-up before Saturday's scheduled start, Jeremy Hefner allowed solo home runs to Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki, which provided the final margin.

The Good Stuff:

• Despite the intensely cold weather, Jonathon Niese was able to piece together a quality start, taking a relatively tough loss by allowing 3 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings, walking 1 and striking out 3 on 96 pitches.
• The Mets' 1-4 hitters combined to go 7-11, as Jordany Valdespin and Daniel Murphy picked up a double and a single each, while David Wright's continued dominance at Coors Field included 2 RBIs, and Ike Davis drove in a run for the first time in what seems like forever.

Final Analysis:
Factor in a clean sweep at the hands of a team they should have beaten, an injury to their top catching prospect, and the realistic possibility that half the team got frostbite, and this road trip could not end soon enough. Now, weekend forecasts of 60 degrees on Saturday and 55 on Sunday certainly aren't summery, they should feel positively like Miami after the week the Mets spent in one of Dante's colder layers of hell. Good day, and good riddance to cold weather.

MM

Games #12 & #13: Rockies 8-9, Mets 4-8

You're cold and tired, I'm cold and tired, the Mets are cold and tired, let's just get this over with and go to bed.

Dillon Gee's 5th inning implosion lifted the Rockies to a 8-4 victory in the afternoon game of the doubleheader, while Ruben Tejada's sixth error in 13 games spelled doom for the Mets in a four-hour, 10-inning day-after-Tax-Day cold-fest of misery.

The Bad Stuff:

• Dillon Gee got plowed like the snow at Coors Field in the first game, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits in 4.2 innings, walking 2 and striking out 2 on 88 pitches.
• While David Wright and John Buck combined for five hits in the opener, the rest of the New York squad teamed up for just three.
• Up 8-2 after a five-run explosion in the 5th inning of the night game, the Mets turned around and gave up four runs the very next inning. In the 8th, Bobby Parnell looked like he got out of a tough jam, but Ruben Tejada threw away what would have been the third out and let the tying runs score.
• After getting runners in scoring position in the 9th and 10th, New York failed to plate the go-ahead. Then a walk and an error off Greg Burke with two outs allowed Jordan Pacheco to play the hero with the game-winner, breaking the Mets' hearts while at the same time warming up the rest of their bodies as they descended into the dugout.
• The Mets extended their home run streak to 12 games after the first, but failed to leave the yard for the first time all season in the second.

The Good Stuff:

• David Wright went 3-4 with his first two homers of the season in the first game, driving in three runs and scoring twice.
• Marlon Byrd had three RBIs in the second game.
• Ruben Tejada picked up three RBIs between the two contests, proving that at least something was working for our troubled young shortstop.

Final Analysis:

(NYDailyNews.com)

First off, props to the grounds crew at Coors Field for managing to get all that mountainous snow off the field in time to get both these games in tonight. While it may have been a miserably cold affair, the odds of the Mets having to make the return trip to Denver in the summer just went down with the mercury.

Secondly, I think these guys have the best summary as to how today went. And my goodness, what is going on with Ruben Tejada? Less than a tenth of the way into the season and he's already halfway to his error total for all of last season. Young he may be, but there's no excuse for such sloppy baseball. If he doesn't get back on track soon, he may lose his starting job at shortstop. I'm sure Omar Quintanilla would be more than eager to fill in.

Final thoughts of the night go to this tweet from @_mistermet. We'll start fresh in the morning. Sleep well, everybody. As well as possible once the frostbite sets in.

MM