DENVER — This easy schedule is hurting the Mets.
Continuing their recent trend of playing to their opponents’ level, the Mets wasted scoring opportunities in the middle and late innings of a 6-3 loss to the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field.
The Mets’ latest mediocre performance comes after they lost two of three games to the lowly Angels in a weekend series in Anaheim.
The Mets also won four games against the last-place Marlins in their opener after the All-Star break and are 3-5 overall against teams that aren’t going anywhere.
The Mets (59-54) need to do better to stay in the National League postseason race.
They entered the day 1.5 games behind in the race for the third wild card spot.
According to Fangraphs, the Mets had the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the National League going into the day.
It’s been a frustrating few days for Carlos Mendoza’s team.
The Mets looked to be on a roll after sweeping the Yankees two games to one in the second Subway Series (winning all four games this season).
They also won two of three games against the Twins, who were competing for the American League Wild Card spot.
However, against weaker opponents, their offense has been disappointing, which is mainly to blame.
In their four losses to the Angels and Marlins, they allowed four runs or less in each game, and Tuesday was no different.
Luis Severino, in his first start at Coors Field (he had never faced the Rockies), allowed five runs (one earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts.
Unfortunately for Severino, in the fourth inning, he allowed a Jake Cave fly ball at high altitude over the left field fence for a two-run homer.
In the second inning, Harrison Bader hit a two-run single to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Pete Alonso walked, Jose Iglesias singled with one out, and then Bader hit a fly ball over the glove of shortstop Ezekiel Tovar to score two runs.
The Rockies got an unearned run off Severino in the second inning.
After Brendan Rodgers was hit, Kris Bryant singled to right-center field and Bader’s throw to third base was in error while trying to catch the leadoff runner.
Mark Vientos tried to pick up the ball near the dugout but was too hasty and dropped it.
The ball rolled under the netting attached to the fence and into the dugout, but the rules allowed Rodgers to advance from third base and Bryant to advance from second base.
With the Mets’ lead cut to 2-1, Michael Toglia hit a grounder to second base, but Iglesias slid to a stop and hit it home in one go, hitting Bryant.
Cave’s fourth-inning homer was the highlight of a three-run inning that gave the Rockies a 4-2 lead.
Elias Diaz hit a one-run double with two outs, then Cave hit a high fly ball to left field that soared over the fence as manager Severino looked on in disbelief.
The comeback began with a single by Rogers as the leadoff hitter of the inning.
Brandon Nimmo hit a one-run single in the fifth inning to put the Mets within 4-3. Tyrone Taylor, who had hit a three-run double the day before, started the counterattack with a double.
Continuing their recent trend of playing to their opponents’ level, the Mets squandered scoring opportunities in the middle and late innings of a 6-3 loss to the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field.
After Nimmo’s single, Rockies starter Kyle Freeland left the game with a blister on his index finger, and reliever Justin Lawrence retired J.D. Martinez for the final out of the fifth inning.
After a nine-minute rain delay in the fifth inning (during which the field was not covered in tarps), Severino returned to the mound and allowed an RBI double to Rogers to put the Mets up 5-3.
Severino’s struggles began in the inning when leadoff batter Tovar singled after a rainout.
Alonso and Iglesias each singled in the sixth inning, putting runners on first and second, but pinch hitter Jesse Winker grounded out to set up an inning-ending double play.
In the seventh, Nimmo’s double put the Mets on second and third with two outs (Francisco Lindor had singled before Nimmo), but another threat was not fulfilled as Martinez was out.
Alex Young allowed two hits and walked two in the eighth inning to extend the Rockies’ lead to 6-3. Diaz’s single brought in one run.
