Mets Triumph Over Rockies in Chilly Duel

DENVER — The temperature dropped to a brisk 37 degrees by the middle of Wednesday night, but the Mets’ bats were heating up pretty nicely as they faced off against the Rockies.

Ultimately, the Mets clinched a 10-5 victory, marking their third win in four games. Today, they hope to secure their first series win of the season.

“It was definitely a tough time,” Juan Soto reflected on the team’s early struggles in the National League. “But we show up with the same mindset every day.”

Following a snow-induced postponement of Tuesday’s game, the Mets came out swinging, building an impressive eight-run lead by the sixth inning. The Rockies made a strong push later on, especially against Tobias Meyers and Sean Manaea, yet the Mets’ bullpen held firm for the victory.

What propelled the Mets, who racked up 15 hits, was their solid contact rather than just targeting high or low pitches.

Marcus Semien notably led the charge, going 4-for-5 with contributions in two crucial rallies and finishing off the night with a two-run homer in the ninth. Notably, Mark Vientos and Luis Torrence were the only starting players not to get a hit.

“You definitely want to perform well in this ballpark. It’s a fantastic hitting environment,” Semien noted, praising the outfield’s vastness which helps the ball travel better.

Freddy Peralta made a strong impression on the mound, throwing five shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out one and issuing two walks. It was his first shutout start of the season, though he was ejected after 91 pitches.

When discussing the difficulty of pitching in such frigid conditions, Peralta said, “It’s crazy weather. Breathing is tough at 35 degrees.” You could really feel the chill in the air.

Soto continued to impress as he claimed his third pitch of the night for a home run, marking his second leadoff HR of his career and his fourth of the season.

Carson Benge’s two-run homer against Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning was pivotal, helping the Mets surge to a 4-0 lead.

Brett Batty started things off with a walk, Semien followed up with a double, and Benge kept up his good form with a hit. He’s doing quite well lately, with ten hits in 23 at-bats (.323 average). Francisco Alvarez extended the rally with a single, setting the stage for Torrence’s groundout, which brought home the fourth run.

Although the Rockies managed some early threats against Peralta, he remained unflustered throughout.

In the second inning, Peralta allowed back-to-back singles but quickly recorded three outs. The third inning saw a single and a walk, along with a wild pitch, but he closed out the inning on a strong note.

Benge’s double in the sixth ignited yet another rally, leading to Alvarez hitting an RBI single and Torrence delivering a grand slam.

Soto’s sacrifice fly then pushed the lead to 6-0, and Bo Bichette added another RBI to make it an eight-run lead.

Myers entered during the sixth but quickly gave up a go-ahead homer. The Rockies found their rhythm with back-to-back doubles from Freeman and Johnston, and McCarthy’s two-run homer narrowed the gap to 8-4.

Unfortunately for Myers, he couldn’t get through the sixth inning. After allowing a single to Edouard Julien, Brooks Lally pitched to close out the inning.

Larry led the Mets through the seventh, while Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless eighth. However, Manaea faced challenges in the ninth. Initially called upon after Semien’s homer, Manaea struggled and left the mound after allowing three hits and hitting a batter.

Devin Williams stepped up with the bases loaded, striking out Jordan Beck and Karros to seal the game.

“It was a tough situation for Sean,” Mendoza commented. “He’s a valuable player for us. We need to keep supporting him and working together in moments like these.”