Eight Inches of Snow Is About to Wreck the Mets-Rockies Series, and Denver's Done This Before

The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies opened their three-game series Monday in Denver, but don't be shocked if that turns out to be the only game they get this week. A winter storm warning is hanging over the Mile High City like a dark cloud, and up to eight inches of snow is expected to dump on the area from 8 p.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday, with even more snow possible near the foothills.

Tuesday's matchup between Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) and Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09) is already in trouble. The game was moved up three hours to start at 3:40 local time to beat the incoming weather. The two teams are meeting in a rematch after Colorado's 4-3 road win on April 24, but Mother Nature might have the final say on whether they ever step foot on the field again this week.

Denver Weather Strikes Again

This isn't the first time Denver's weather has crashed the party. In 2013, when the Mets visited in mid-April, the Denver metro got close to 10 inches of snow and forced a postponement on April 15. The grounds crew, with help from Rockies owner Dick Monfort and others from the front office, actually shoveled the field the next day so the teams could play a doubleheader. Eight years later to the day, 6.9 inches of snow hit Denver again, postponing the first game and forcing another doubleheader. Even a snowstorm in late May 2022 led to another postponement. Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer pretty much shrugged it off: "I think it's just Denver weather shows up. Sorry they have to be here when that happens. We have to deal with it, too."

What Actually Happened Monday, and What Could Play Out Tuesday

The Mets did manage to steal the series opener 4-2 on Monday, overcoming five no-hit innings from Tomoyuki Sugano. New York exploded for four runs on three hits in the sixth inning to pull away. If Tuesday's game actually happens, Peralta takes on Lorenzen, who earned the victory on April 24 with seven innings of one-run ball. Peralta's made nine starts against the Rockies in his career, sitting at 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA against them. He allowed two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in that April 24 loss.

Lorenzen's got serious numbers against the Mets too: 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA and two saves across five starts in his career against them. The first batter he'll likely face is Juan Soto, who the Mets moved to the leadoff spot for Monday's game. Soto went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, and he's batting .301 with three home runs this season on an injury-impacted year. Manager Carlos Mendoza shifted Soto to leadoff because New York couldn't put runners on base in front of him when he batted in the middle of the order. "We were having a hard time doing that," Mendoza said. "So just decided to go the other way, just getting him as many at bats as possible, trying to get him on base and let the other guys drive him in."

Stay tuned. Tuesday's first pitch might happen at 3:40 local time, or it might not happen at all.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.