Mets at Rockies
The Colorado Rockies begin August holding down a wild card spot in the National League and boasting some veteran additions that should help in the stretch run, beginning with the first of three against the visiting New York Mets on Tuesday. A few days after shoring up their bullpen with the acquisition of Pat Neshek, the Rockies obtained veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy on Sunday in a deal with Texas.
Colorado split a day-night doubleheader at Washington on Sunday, producing just four hits in a 3-1 loss in the nightcap, and it entered Monday's non-waiver trade deadline day up 5 1/2 games up on Milwaukee in the push for the second wild card. Gerardo Parra had the one RBI for the Rockies and is batting .443 with 17 RBIs since coming off the disabled list July 7. The Mets are 10 1/2 games behind Colorado in the wild-card race and picked up Miami Marlins closer A.J. Ramos before parting ways with reliever Addison Reed, who was traded to Boston on Monday. They give the ball to lefty Steven Matz, who opposes Jeff Hoffman in a matchup of young hurlers who have struggled of late.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (2-4, 5.51 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jeff Hoffman (6-3, 5.58)
Matz was 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA through his first five starts, but he's gone 0-3 with a 14.18 ERA over his last four outings. The second of those difficult starts came against Colorado on July 16, when the 26-year-old was shelled for seven runs and nine hits in an inning of work. Matz, who will pitch at Coors Field for the first time, has been reached for 19 hits in seven frames in his career against the Rockies, and Charlie Blackmon (4-for-6, two doubles) and Mark Reynolds (3-for-5, two doubles) have given him fits.
Hoffman has had a plunge similar to that of Matz, carrying a 2.25 ERA through mid-June but giving up 35 earned runs in 37 1/3 innings over a span of seven starts since. Among his better outings in the stretch was a win opposite Matz at Citi Field on July 16, as he surrendered four runs in six frames. The 24-year-old New York native has a 7.79 ERA in seven games (six starts) at home in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado has won six of its last seven at home.
2. Mets 3B Wilmer Flores is batting .355 with four homers in a 10-game hot stretch.
3. Lucroy is 3-for-29 over his last nine games.