Mets Finally Won a Road Series and Now They're Chasing Colorado's Collapsing Rotation

The Mets needed this. After a brutal 10-21 start, New York just grabbed its first road series win since early April, taking two of three from the Angels. Now they're heading to Denver to face a Rockies team that's falling apart, and if the Mets can keep the momentum rolling, this could be the spark that turns their season around.

Mark Vientos is the guy carrying this offense right now. He smashed a pair of two-run homers in Sunday's 5-1 win and isn't overthinking 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." The timing is critical. New York is scoring at an alarming rate, sitting at just 118 runs this season, second fewest in the majors ahead only of the Giants' 106. Manager Carlos Mendoza knows exactly what needs to happen next: "That's our goal, to start winning series. 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."

Peterson's Homecoming Against a Reeling Rotation

The Mets are rolling out an opener Monday before David Peterson (0-4, 6.53 ERA) takes over. Peterson, a 30-year-old Denver native, has been a disaster lately, failing to complete four innings in each of his last three starts. He got shelled on Wednesday by Washington, giving up seven runs on five hits in just 3 2/3 innings during a 14-2 loss. But here's the wrinkle: Peterson is actually money when he faces his hometown Rockies. He's 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA in his first four matchups against Colorado.

Colorado is sending Tomoyuki Sugano (3-1, 2.84) to the mound, and the offseason acquisition has been solid. Last time out, he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in a 13-2 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer loved what he saw: "He set the tone, kept them off-balanced, relied on his offspeed pitches. He was really good, efficient, just like he's been all year." The 36-year-old went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in 30 starts for Baltimore last year as a rookie before signing with Colorado in February. He faced the Mets once last year, allowing three runs over six frames in a 7-3 win on July 10.

Rockies Hemorrhaging Runs, Desperately Need a Stopper

Colorado is in freefall. The Rockies dropped five of their last six games, and last weekend against Atlanta was ugly. Like really ugly. They allowed 28 runs across a three-game sweep. That's the kind of performance that makes you question everything about your pitching staff.

The series opener gets moving at an unusual time, kicked up three hours because of predicted bad weather. First pitch Monday in Denver, and the Mets have a real chance to pile on wins against a team desperately searching for answers.

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