Rockies Win 4th Straight, Beat Mets 5-2

With last night’s 5-2 win over the New York Mets (57-67), the Colorado Rockies (49-73) have won four in a row and eight of their last ten. Colorado starter Jeff Francis delivered five quality innings after giving up a run in the first. The Rockies will go for the four-game sweep of the Mets today at 11:10 ET at Citi Field (TV: none).

Starter Jeff Francis stumbled in the first. After a leadoff double by Ruben Tejada, Scott Hairston hit a sacrifice fly to right three batters later to give New York a short-lived 1-0 lead.

But Colorado battled back with a run in the fourth and four more over the final three innings, highlighted by Wilin Rosario’s tiebreaking homer and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by DJ LeMahieu in the seventh. Winners of four straight and eight of 10, the Rockies’ recent style is that of a postseason contender.

“A squeeze play when you’re five runs down doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but to get an add-on run in situations where we’re pitching effectively, it’s a completely different dynamic,” manager Jim Tracy said.  “And it’s all related to the way that we’re pitching and staying in baseball games.”

Mets rookie righty Matt Harvey dominated for six innings, surrendering just one run — a sacrifice fly by Rosario in the fourth — and striking out nine.

But barring a complete game by Harvey, the Rockies would get their chance. And like clockwork, New York’s league-worst bullpen unraveled again.

Official: Wednesday’s Box Score.

Leading off the seventh in a tie game, Rosario homered off reliever Ramon Ramirez to give Colorado the lead, and three batters later — following a double by Tyler Colvin, who advanced to third in the next at-bat — LeMahieu laid down the squeeze.

In all, Colorado scored four runs against the Mets ‘pen — including two in the ninth after New York cut the lead to one an inning earlier.

Harvey has 43 strikeouts through his first six Major League games — more than any other pitcher in franchise history, Nolan Ryan included. But New York’s consistent lack of offensive production has dampened what has been a fantastic start to Harvey’s career.

Colorado got a scare in the fourth when Dexter Fowler sprained his right ankle running into second– he hit a soft ground-ball single to right, then cruised into second after an errant throw by Mets right fielder Hairston — and had to be helped off the field.

As Fowler slowed into second, his right foot slipped off the bag and his ankle twisted in a manner that looked as painful as it was to watch. X-rays came back negative, but Fowler was on crutches and said he expected to miss at least a few days.

Tickets are available for the Rockies’ next home game at Coors Field vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 27th, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.

[ColoradoRockies.com]