Zack Wheeler hammered in Mets' 10-3 loss to Rockies
Pitching coach Dan Warthen of the Mets visits the mound to talk to starting pitcher Zack Wheeler of the Mets and catcher Travis d'Arnaud as they face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 2, 2014 in Denver. Credit: Getty Images / Doug Pensinger
The first inning already had started to unravel Friday night when Zack Wheeler charged down the third-base line. He was after Wilin Rosario's swinging bunt, which appeared to be headed foul.
But when he backed off to let it roll, the ball hugged the line to stay fair.
All Wheeler could do was shake his head, just one of many frustrating moments for the Mets, victims of a 10-3 drubbing by the Rockies.
"Honestly, I didn't have a clue where my ball was going today," said Wheeler, who endured the worst start of his career against baseball's most potent offense.
The Rockies' Charlie Blackmon homered and went 3-for-5, raising his average to .380. He ranks second in the NL to teammate Troy Tulowitzki (.385), who knocked in three runs.
Nolan Arenado extended his hitting streak to 22 games, the longest in baseball this season. Later, he channeled his inner Brooks Robinson by making a diving stab and unleashing a long throw from foul ground to rob Chris Young of a hit.
Wheeler lasted only four innings, his shortest outing, and allowed a career-high seven runs (six earned). For only the second time, he had only one strikeout.
"They're swinging the bats great, and we've got to figure out some way to stop them," said manager Terry Collins, whose team has been outscored 17-7 in the first two games of the series.
The Rockies' barrage forced the Mets to settle for small victories.
David Wright collected two hits. As did Juan Lagares, who led off for the second straight game ahead of the displaced Eric Young Jr.
The slumping Curtis Granderson finished 2-for-4, including a two-run homer, just his second with the Mets.
"Each day, it's trying to get a little [more] improvement than you had the previous day," Granderson said. "Today was one of those days."
Granderson is hitting just .156 but has been encouraged by the contact of late. His swing, he said, is "getting there."
But until it does, the Mets might be forced to weather more difficult nights, as they did against Rockies lefty Jorge De La Rosa.
The Mets threatened a big inning in the first against De La Rosa, but Daniel Murphy helped squash the rally when he was caught trying to steal third.
Meanwhile, the Rockies didn't miss their chances, needing only two innings to take a 6-1 lead.
Blackmon sneaked a grounder through the right side of the infield to trigger a first-inning rally. Later, Rosario's accidental infield hit knocked in the final run of a four-run first.
Tulowitzki added a two-run single in the second to put the Rockies in the driver's seat.
"They're aggressive, they're putting good swings on the ball and they're doing it to all sides of the field," Granderson said. "Everybody that comes up there is a threat."
Notes & quotes: Retiring commissioner Bud Selig didn't deviate from his standard line about the Mets. Visiting Coors Field as part of his farewell tour, Selig said he has "a lot of faith" in the controlling Wilpon family and in general manager Sandy Alderson.
"I am not the least bit concerned about the Mets' ability to compete at the major-league level, no doubt about it," Selig said in response to the Mets' relatively modest $86-million payroll.
Selig insisted that rebuilding a team through the farm system -- as the Mets have attempted -- remains a slow process. "I think the Mets are playing better," he said. "I think the Mets feel that they're better."
