Mets find a groove to show signs of a fight in the NL
THE New York Mets are on a roll.
Maybe not the kind of stretch the Yankees found themselves on after the All Star break, but equally important.
Some would argue, even more so.
After winning back-to-back games to take the last series in Houston, the Mets rallied from behind on the strength of Fernando Tatis' pinch hit grand slam to take the opener of a four-game set against NL Wildcard-leading Colorado Rockies.
Tatis went down to drill an 0-2 changeup over the tall wall in left center field to lift the spirits of the Mets faithful and remind them that, as banged up as they are right now, they can still lock horns with the best of them.
With the exception of the catcher, Jerry Manuel named an unchanged team for the third successive night and the continuity proved to be successful again as the Amazin's defeated the Rockies 7-3.
Oliver Perez labored through five innings of work but only allowed three runs as Colorado wasted chances to bury the Mets early, stranding runners in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th innings.
New York's bullpen held the Rockies in check and one big swing of the bat busted the game open in the 8th after chasing starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez out of the game.
Revitalised
In a season of struggles, a three-win streak in Queens is practically unheard of.
The last time it happened was at the end of May when they swept the Nationals at Citi Field before taking the opening game in the following series against the Marlins.
Maybe not coincidently, it was also the last time the Mets were in first place.
While the Mets did not make up ground on any of their NL East opponents, they did not slip further behind. With crunch fixtures against the Braves, Phillies and Marlins still three weeks away, now is the time for the Mets to try and put something together.
Recap
The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning but Jeff Francoeur cut the deficit in half with a solo home run in the 4th.
Clint Barmes reinstalled Colorado's two-run lead with a home run to lead off the 5th inning but the Mets plated two runs on three hits and a sac fly to level the game at 3-3.
That was the way the score stayed until Tatis' late heroics made it 7-3, quickly helping Mets fans forget some of the struggles earlier on in the game.
You could flip a coin to guess which Oliver Perez would turn up at Citi Field and, as it happened, fans got to see a little of each as he tip-toed his way anxiously around the big-hitting Colorado lineup.
Oliver 'walks are a part of the game' Perez started quickly, throwing just seven pitches in the 1st inning.
But he fell behind in the 2nd, giving up a pair of runs on Troy Tulowitzki's home run to center field.
This lead looked like it could be enough early on, with the Mets mustering just one hit - Luis Castillo's one-out double - through the first three innings.
Dexter Fowler left the bases loaded in the top of the 4th inning after Perez had given up two walks and an infield chopper to his opposite number, and the Mets pulled one run back in the home half of the inning.
David Wright had extended his hitting streak with a lead-off single, but Daniel Murphy grounded into a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play. This brought up Jeff Francoeur who hit his eighth home run of the season - his third as a Met - on an off-speed pitch to left field.
The Rockies however regained their two-run lead when Clint Barmes turned on a belt-high 3-2 fastball and sent a frozen rope drive deep into the stands down the third base line.
Perez walked the high rope again in the 5th inning but escaped unharmed, getting out of the inning and stranding two men on base.
His 103rd pitch was his final pitch of the evening, leaving him on the hook for the loss after allowing three runs on five hits, two home runs and four walks.
Bullpen
Brian Stokes kept the Rockies in check in the top of the 6th inning and the Mets bats turned Perez's potential loss into a no decision in the bottom of the frame with a two spot to tie the game at 3-3.
Castillo legged out an infield single against Jimenez to lead off the inning and Wright turned on an inside fastball to single through the hole.
Daniel Murphy drove in Castillo with an RBI single to right field and Cory Sullivan hit a sac fly to Hawpe in right field to knot the game.
Stokes worked around a pair of two-out hits to post two scoreless innings in the 6th and 7th and Pedro Feliciano got through the back end of the Rockies order to keep the game tied in the 8th.
While the Mets bullpen did their job, veteran reliever Juan Rincon self destructed.
Rincon airmailed a 3-2 pitch to Luis Castillo to the backstop and then walked David Wright on four straight pitches to put men on first and second.
Daniel Murphy dropped down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to force Rincon to intentionally walk Francoeur and then Tatis - hitting for former Rockie rookie Sullivan - took Franklin Morales deep to see New York on their way to the victory.
I'm hoping the Mets can win this series against the Rockies. They are ahead of Atlanta in the wild card standings and are due for a few loses.
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Ash, What's you take on all the turmoil going on in the Mets' front office. Do you think it will help the team to clean house there?
Julia
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