Another Rockie start for Pelfrey

Mike Pelfrey's only real crime this season is that he is not Johan Santana. It just took everyone a week or so to face that hard reality, and what that means for the Mets going forward.

The simple act of jamming Pelfrey in the No. 1 spot, as Santana's replacement, was not going to magically transform him into an ace. And at this point, the Mets would be thrilled if this 6-7 pitcher could just be Mike Pelfrey again.

Unfortunately, three starts into this season, he's not there yet. Pelfrey seemed to inch closer to his 2010 self during Monday night's 7-6 loss to the Rockies by sticking almost exclusively with his sinker and splitter. In doing so, he actually showed flashes of the pitcher we remembered from last season. But that lasted only an inning.

Pelfrey opened the game by striking out Dexter Fowler with a 94-mph fastball and also got Carlos Gonzalez to swing through a 91-mph fastball, set up by an 85-mph splitter. Problem solved, right? Not quite.

Pelfrey slogged through his 51/3 innings in survival mode, needing 113 pitches just to make it that far. When the opposing pitcher, Jason Hammel, faked a bunt and punched a single through the right side of the infield, Terry Collins had seen enough.

Pelfrey left with a 4-2 lead, but it soon evaporated. Without the win, he had to console himself with marginal improvement.

"I'm not pleased by any means," Pelfrey said. "But it is a step in the right direction. It's better."

Still, Pelfrey has been unable to generate the ground balls that usually provide an escape hatch out of trouble. And thanks to some suspect fielding by the Mets, Pelfrey was unable to skate free of some tight spots.

In the third inning, leftfielder Willie Harris lost Jonathan Herrera's fly ball in the lights for a double. Another fly ball later, Troy Tulowitzki reached for an outside pitch and punched an RBI single through the infield. In the fourth, Jose Reyes' throwing error on a sacrifice bunt set up Fowler's sacrifice fly.

Pelfrey explained that the Rockies are "dive-and-drive" types, hitters who like to reach down for the sinker and yank it to all fields. That doesn't make him a particularly good matchup for this crew despite his history of success against Colorado. He's just not the same pitcher now that he was last season.

"Better," Collins said. "I thought Mike used his fastball effectively. He did throw a number of pitches, but he continues to move uphill on the positive side."

The alternative was driving off a cliff, and Pelfrey did creep back from the ledge a bit. Now that Opening Day is over, the No. 1 label carries no meaning, other than leaving Pelfrey overmatched when his number comes up against the likes of Roy Halladay or Josh Johnson.

Looking back, maybe the only mistake was thinking that Pelfrey's 15-win season gained him entry into the club. As Santana said in spring training, when asked about Pelfrey taking over the No. 1 spot in the rotation, he's clearly not there yet.

"I think it's a great opportunity for him to step up, and to help us out," Santana said. "But he's still learning. I think his upside is pretty big, and I hope that's the case."

Like Santana, the Mets have their fingers crossed.