The Mets are hurting, with their injured list full of key players that has diminished an offense that was already among the worst in baseball statistically and forced them to get creative with their pitching plans.
Yet they remain in first place in the NL East at 21-19, thanks mostly to the mediocrity that defines the division. And they seem to be catching a break with the schedule at a time they need it most, as the Colorado Rockies come to town for four games beginning Monday night.
At 18-29, the Rockies have the second-worst record in the National League and they are by far the worst road team in baseball. Remarkably, they’ve won only two games on the road all season. But they do have a bit of momentum, coming off a home three-game sweep of the equally-inept Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Mets won two of three games against the Rockies in Colorado last month. Can they take advantage of this scheduling opportunity?
Here are five things to look for in the series:
Jacob deGrom Returns Tuesday
At least that’s the plan, as Luis Rojas said on Sunday, and nothing could be more uplifting for the Mets than getting their ace back. DeGrom hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to tightness in his side that put him on the injured list, and he’s only made that one start since April 28.
Can he get right back to the dominance that made him the talk of baseball in April? Though he hasn’t pitched enough to qualify for official MLB statistics, his 0.68 ERA over six starts and 40 innings is easily the lowest among all starting pitchers.
On April 17, deGrom mostly overmatched the Rockies over six innings, racking up 14 strikeouts. He did give up three runs, including a home run to Ramiel Tapia, but none of the runs were earned and this was the rare game when the Mets’ offense delivered for deGrom, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh (in a seven-inning doubleheader game) to take a 4-3 lead and allow their ace to get the win.
Rockies Are Dreadful On The Road
It’s stunning how poorly the Rockies have played on the road, as reflected in their 2-17 record. They’re really two different teams, solid at home (16-12) but hapless on the road.
It starts with their pitching, which is supposed to be easier away from Coors Field, but is far worse for the Rockies. Check out the road ERAs of the four pitchers who will start against the Mets: Austin Gomer, 6.39; Chi Chi Gonzalez, 6.20, German Marquez, 4.60, and Antonio Senzatela, 8.59.
The Rockies don’t hit away from Coors either. They’ve been shut out seven times already in road games.
