Saturday, May 6, 2023

Rockies, Led By Gomber & Tovar, Trounce Mets

 

Austin Gomber pitching to Starling Marte in the fifth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Colorado Rockies got a pair of superb performances from surprise sources, as they rolled to a 5-2 win over the Mets, who fell back to .500, at 17-17.

Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber, who entered with a record of 2-4 and a 7.57 ERA (earned run average) threw six innings, and allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks, with three strikeouts. Both Mets runs came on RBI groundouts, meaning any rally they got, Gomber kept in check.

Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar provided the offense in the eighth spot of the lineup, as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and a single (missing the cycle by a triple), with two runs scored.

Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill did not have it early, as he walked Charlie Blackmon to open the game on four straight pitches. He then threw the next three out of the strike zone to Randal Grichuk before retiring him on a groundout to second base.

Tylor Megill pitching to Randal Grichuk in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.


Kris Bryant was up next, and he got hit with a pitch in the left shoulder that mirrored the one Megill threw in that area to Atlanta's Ronald Acuna, Jr., last Monday.

Megill nearly got out of it unscathed, as he retired C.J. Cron on a fly ball to right field for the second out, but Elias Diaz dunked one into right field to bring in Blackmon and make it 1-0 Rockies.

In the bottom of the first, Brandon Nimmo singled and Francisco Lindor got a one-out double. Pete Alonso was up next, and he hit a ground ball to third base, on which Ryan McMahon made a nice play to retire him, and it brought in Nimmo to tie the game. Tommy Pham then grounded out to third also to end the frame.

Austin Gomber pitching to Pete Alonso in the first inning, with Brandon Nimmo leading off third base and Francisco Lindor at second. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Rockies took the lead back in the top of the second when Tovar got a one-out single and came in on a sacrifice fly from Blackmon to make it 2-1/

The Mets tied it in the third when Francisco Alvarez and Nimmo singled to open the inning, Starling Marte bunted them over, and Alvarez came in to score on a Lindor groundout.

In the fifth, Megill lost his control again, as he walked Grichuk and Bryant to open the inning, and after he struck out Cron, Diaz singled to left to bring in Grichuk and make it 3-2. That was the Rockies' catcher's second RBI on the day, which gave him 18 on the season.

Megill exited after that hit, and his final line was: 4 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (all earned), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts.

Stephen Nogosek got the final out of the fifth and stayed on for the sixth. He opened that with a walk to Harold Castro and then Tovar delivered the big blow, a two-run homer to the left field corner to make it 5-2.

Ezequiel Tovar about to touch home plate on his home run. Photo by Jason Schott.


After Gomber worked around an Alonso walk to pitch a scoreless sixth to end his day, Jake Bird came on for the seventh, and he retired the Mets in order.

Bird stayed on for the eighth, and Lindor walked and Alonso singled with two outs, and the Mets brought up Jeff McNeil to pinch-hit for Tommy Pham, and he struck out to end the inning.

Pierce Johnson came on to close it out for the Rockies in the ninth, and he worked around a single to Mark Canha with two strikeouts and ended the game getting Daniel Vogelbach to ground out to second base. It was Johnson's fifth save of the season, not bad for a team that improved to 13-21.

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