The New York Mets will travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies on Monday. The Mets are 34-41 on the road and 77-72 overall this season overall as they sit 15 games behind the Braves in the NL East.
The National League Wild Card spots will come down to the final games as the Mets sit just four games out, behind the Cubs and Brewers. The Mets are 6-4 over their last 10 games after losing their last game on Sunday to the Dodgers.
Still Fighting
As a team, the Mets are hitting just .257 with 218 home runs. New York’s success derives from its pitching, which has posted a 4.32 ERA as a team this year.
Steven Matz will get the start on the bump for the Mets to kick off their series in Colorado. Matz allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings to take the win against the Diamondbacks in his last outing.
That win brought Matz to 10-8 this season with a 3.84 ERA and 139 strikeouts. The 28-year-old has gone 4-2 since August; he would love to string some wins together here to finish the season strong and give his team a shot at the postseason.
First baseman Pete Alonso has been getting the job done at the plate for the Mets this season, he has posted 47 home runs and 109 runs batted in so far this year. The rookie sensation has been a great addition to the team this year. He will serve as a corner piece for the Mets to build around in the lineup.
Playing For Pride
The Rockies are 65-85 this year with no chance left of extending their season into October. Despite having a very talented roster, the Rockies have failed to put together a successful season and will be going back to the drawing board this offseason.
Colorado is currently on a three-game winning streak after sweeping the Padres at home where they scored at least 10 runs in each game. They have posted a 39-36 home record this year, which does not give them much of a home-field advantage.
As a team, the Rockies are batting .266 with 199 home runs. They are sitting at a 5.63 ERA, which is to be expected with all the home games in Colorado. Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland and left fielder David Dahl are both currently sitting on the 10-day IL.
Antonio Senzatela will get the start for the Rockies in this game. The 24-year-old earned a win in his last outing as he held the red-hot Cardinals to just one run while striking out five over six innings.
Senzatela is now 9-10 this season with a 6.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts. His last outing was one of his best this season, and he would love to shut down the Mets and build on that win.
To no one’s surprise, it has been star third baseman Nolan Arenado and rightfielder Charlie Blackmon who have been getting the job done at the plate for the Rockies again this season. Arenado leads the team with 40 home runs and 116 runs batted in; he has also posted a .315 batting average. Blackmon leads with his .317 average; the 33-year-old also has 28 home runs and 78 RBI.
The Pick
While the Mets have a better record and are favored in this game, I like the Rockies to keep their winning streak alive. The bats have been hot for the Rockies lately, and while the Mets may be able to slow them down, I don’t think they can stop them from getting the upset victory.
