Mets Swept By Rockies In Sunday Doubleheader

 

Nolan McLean is pumped after striking out Mickey Moniak in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets lost both ends of a doubleheader on Sunday at Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies, 3-1 in the opener and 3-0 in the nightcap.

Colorado won the series opener on Friday night, 4-3, so they swept the weekend series, and handed the Mets three straight losses after they won two in a row.

GAME 1: ROCKIES 3, METS 1: Nolan McLean got the start for the Mets in this one, and came out firing. He struck out Edouard Julien and Mickey Moniak to open the game on his way to retiring the side in the top of the first inning.

The Mets looked primed to give him the lead in the bottom half of the opening frame against old friend Jose Quintana, as they loaded the bases with one out.

Quintana struck out Marcus Semien swinging and Brett Baty looking to get out of the jam, and that started a stretch where he retired 11 in a row through the end of the fourth.

Colorado, who didn’t get a hit until a Jake McCarthy single in the third, rallied against McLean in the fourth.

Julien and Moniak opened the frame with singles, and McLean then walked TJ Rumfield to load the bases.

Troy Johnston punched a single through the unfurled to bring home Julien to make it 1-0 Colorado.

Kyle Karros (son of Eric) then struck out before Brett Sullivan bounced one back to McLean, who turned a perfect 1-2-3 double play to get out of the frame.

McLean tossed it to Luis Torrens at the plate to nab Mickey Moniak…

Before Torrens fired to first base to get Brett Sullivan. Photos by Jason Schott.

Tyrone Taylor led off the bottom of the fifth with a drive to left field that just cleared the fence for a solo home run to tie the game.

Quintana retired the next three Mets in order to keep it there, and the Rockies’ offense got going again in the sixth.

Julien led off with a double to left that one-hopped the wall, followed by a walk to Moniak.

Rumfield then bounced one to Mark Vientos at first, and he tried throwing to second for the double play, but it hit Moniak square in the back.

The Vientos error let the Rockies load the bases, and that was, surprisingly, the end of McLean’s day, even though he was only at 91 pitches.

Huascar Brazoban entered for the Mets, and he got Johnston to bounce into a double play.

That still brought Edouard home to make it 2-1 Rockies, but then Karros grounded out to end the frame.

McLean’s final line was: 5 innings (plus 3 batters), 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts.

Quintana got the first out of the bottom of the sixth, a Juan Soto fly out down the left field line, and that was all for his day.

The former Met went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run (earned) on two hits and two walks, while striking out five.

Colorado tacked on another run in the seventh against Brazoban when Sullivan led off with a double and came in to score on a McCarthy single to make it 3-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Jaden Hill on for Colorado, the Mets loaded the bases with one out when Francisco Alvarez and Bo Bichette each got singles, followed by a Juan Soto walk. 

Luis Robert Jr. proceeded to pop out foul to first base, and then Vientos struck out swinging to end the threat.

GAME 2: ROCKIES 3, METS 0: The Rockies didn't take long to get to Mets starter Kodai Senga, as Trey Johnson got an RBI single in the second inning.

That was followed up by a Hunter Goodman two-run home run into the Mets bullpen that made it 3-0 Colorado in the top of the third. It was Goodman's seventh home run of the season.

After Goodman's homer, Moniak walked and Freeman lined out to center field for the first out of the inning.

Rumfield then hit a groundout to Brett Baty at first, and he threw to second to try to nab Moniak, but it was off target. 

Karros then drew a walk to give Colorado two runners on and two outs, and that was all for Senga.

Carl Edwards Jr. was first out of the bullpen, and he walked Johnson to load the bases before he got Ezequiel Tovar to ground into a force out to end the inning.

Edwards Jr. threw 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball, and the threw relievers who followed - Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and Devin Williams - all threw scoreless frames.

It made no difference as Rockies starter Chase Dollinger threw seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits and two walks, while striking out seven. He his now 3-2 on the season, with a 2.25 ERA (earned run average).

The Mets are now 9-19, and have lost 15 of their last 17 games. After an off day tomorrow, they welcome their division rival Washington Nationals (11-16) to Citi Field for a three-game series starting Tuesday night.