Mets at Rockies
The Colorado Rockies totaled 19 runs in going 3-3 on their recently completed six-game road trip. The bats were much more lively in their return to Coors Field. The Rockies and the Mets put on an old-fashioned Coors Field slugfest Friday, combining for 36 hits as the Colorado exploded for an 18-9 victory. Both teams set season-highs for runs and the Rockies pounded out four home runs.
Coors Field appears to be much more to the liking of Colorado, which is batting .308 at home but .211 on the road. Carlos Gonzalez is pulling out of an early slump nicely. After a two-homer game at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Gonzalez hit a three-run homer and finished with six RBIs Friday. Scott Hairston highlighted New York’s offense by hitting for the cycle. The Mets had allowed a total of four runs in a three-game sweep of Miami before traveling to Colorado.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Dillon Gee (1-2, 5.21 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jeremy Guthrie (2-1, 5.92 ERA)
Gee, who will be celebrating his 26th birthday Saturday, was being counted on by New York to stabilize the back end of the rotation after a promising rookie campaign in 2011. The right-hander had a strong outing at Atlanta on April 16 but was punished for seven runs on 12 hits in 6 2/3 innings to suffer a loss against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Gee has never faced Colorado.
Guthrie has struggled at Coors Field, allowing 12 runs in 10 1/3 innings to suffer a pair of losses. But the veteran right-hander regained his form on the road at Milwaukee on Sunday, yielding three hits and one run in seven innings to pick up the win.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who underwent Tommy John surgery last season, pitched in extended spring training Friday and is likely to start a minor league rehab assignment in the next few weeks.
2. Hairston’s cycle Friday was the 10th in Mets history and the first since Jose Reyes in 2006.
3. Colorado rookie left-hander Drew Pomeranz left Friday’s start in the fourth inning with tightness in his forearm.