Mets Finally Got a Road Win and They're Heading to Colorado to Keep It Going

The New York Mets desperately needed something to break their way, and after a brutal 10-21 start, they finally caught a breather. Fresh off winning a road series against the Los Angeles Angels, the Mets are heading to Denver on Monday to take on the Colorado Rockies in a three-game set with real momentum on their side. This is their first road series victory since beating the San Francisco Giants in early April, and manager Carlos Mendoza knows exactly what needs to happen next.

"That's our goal, to start winning series," Mendoza said. "That's what it's going to take for us to get to where we want to be. One series at a time, one game at a time."

Mark Vientos Is the Spark They Needed

Sunday's 5-1 win over the Angels came with a huge bright spot. Mark Vientos launched two two-run home runs, finally giving New York's offense something to celebrate. That matters because the Mets' 118 runs are second fewest in the entire majors. Only the Giants are worse at 106 runs. Vientos gets it.

"I think that's the name of the game, putting yesterday in the past," Vientos said. "We have to focus on the right now."

Peterson Takes the Mound at Home

The Mets plan to use an opener Monday before David Peterson (0-4, 6.53 ERA) gets the call. Peterson is a 30-year-old Denver native facing his hometown team for the fifth time in his career. Here's the concerning part: the left-hander has failed to complete four innings in each of his last three starts. On Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, he surrendered seven runs on five hits in just 3 2/3 frames in a 14-2 loss. But Peterson has history working in his favor against Colorado. In his first four starts against the Rockies, he's 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA.

Colorado is coming in reeling. They've dropped five of their last six games since sweeping the Mets back in late April. Last weekend against Atlanta was a disaster: the Rockies' pitching staff allowed 28 runs across a three-game sweep. They're turning to offseason addition Tomoyuki Sugano (3-1, 2.84 ERA) to stop the bleeding. Sugano threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings last time out against Cincinnati on Wednesday, striking out two in a 13-2 win. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer praised his efficiency and composure.

Sugano is 36 years old and went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in 30 starts for the Baltimore Orioles last year as a rookie. He signed with Colorado in February and faced the Mets once last year, allowing three runs in six frames in a 7-3 win on July 10. The series opener was moved up three hours because of expected bad weather in Denver.

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