Rockies prevail behind De La Rosa's 100th victory
NEW YORK -- Jorge De La Rosa earned his 100th career victory Saturday night when he tossed six solid innings as the red-hot Colorado Rockies beat the New York Mets 7-2 at Citi Field.
The Rockies (52-52) have won five straight and nine of 10 to reach .500 after the All-Star Break for the first time since 2010.
The skidding Mets (53-50) have lost four straight and five of six to fall 2 1/2 games behind the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the National League's second wild card.
De La Rosa allowed a run apiece in the first and second innings before retiring 13 of the final 16 batters he faced. The 35-year-old southpaw, who became the 27th active pitcher to reach 100 wins, allowed six hits and two walks while striking out four.
David Dahl's two-run homer in the fourth gave the Rockies the lead for good. Trevor Story had an RBI single earlier in the fourth while D.J. LeMahieu laced a two-run single in the fifth. LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado each lofted long sacrifice flies in the seventh.
Charlie Blackmon had two hits for the Rockies and is 6-for-13 in the last two contests of the four-game series.
Story left int he fourth inning with a jammed left thumb.
Right-hander Bartolo Colon, who started on three days' rest for the first time since 2005, took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.
The Mets, who entered the game batting a major league-low .202 with runners in scoring position, took a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Flores and Johnson in the first and second innings, respectively.
The Rockies didn't record a hit in the first three innings but busted out in the fourth when Story delivered a run-scoring infield single immediately before Dahl's long two-run homer.
NOTES: The game started 38 minutes late after a rain delay. ... The Mets retired Mike Piazza's No. 31 in a pregame ceremony. Piazza, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last weekend, joins pitcher Tom Seaver (41) and managers Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14) as the only Mets to have their numbers retired by the club. ... The Mets placed 3B Jose Reyes (left oblique strain) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, and signed OF Justin Ruggiano, who started in center field and batted seventh. To make room for Ruggiano on the 40-man roster, the Mets shifted RHP Matt Harvey to the 60-day disabled list. ... Rockies OF Gerardo Parra (sprained left ankle) went 1-for-4 in his second rehab game Saturday for Double-A Hartford.