DENVER — Carlos Beltran hopped in a hot tub time machine yesterday and was no longer 34 years old when he touched home plate for the final time.
“I feel like a little kid, honestly,” Beltran said after hitting three home runs and driving in six runs to lead the Mets’ 9-5 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. “I was smiling. I never smile a lot, but I was smiling and I was happy. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to experience something like hitting three homers in a game.”
The performance of Beltran’s career could not have come at a better time. With Ike Davis spending his first day on the disabled list and David Wright getting a game off to rest his sore back, Beltran became a Colorado Avalanche.
The three homers in a game were a first for Beltran, and the six RBIs matched a career high. No Met has homered four times in a game. Jose Reyes was the last Mets player with three in a game, accompishing the feat in Philadelphia on Aug. 15, 2006.
The Mets held a 7-5 lead in the ninth when Beltran approached Willie Harris in the dugout. Matt Lindstrom, who had struck out Beltran in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s win, was pitching for Colorado.
“We were both down by the bat rack, and [Beltran] said there’s going to be some revenge on this guy,” Harris said. “He explained it to me that [Tuesday] night he struck out on three pitches.”
Beltran was waiting for the same slider that had buried him Tuesday and received it on a 1-2 pitch. The ball landed in the right-field seats for Beltran’s third two-run blast of the game.
“That’s why he’s El Caballo [the Horse],” said Harris, who was on base for each of the three homers. “That’s why he is who he is. That was some revenge, a slider down and out like that.”
Beltran’s homer batting lefty in the first gave the Mets a 2-0 lead against Ubaldo Jimenez (0-3). In the seventh, Beltran’s right-handed homer against Franklin Morales gave the Mets a 7-2 lead. Beltran’s final homer came batting lefty.
“I was looking for that particular pitch,” Beltran said. “If he would have thrown me a fastball I probably would have struck out because I was looking for [a slider].
“I was wondering how it feels for those players to get three homers in a game — and it feels great. It’s a great feeling, and most important because we were able to win the series.”
Jon Niese (2-4) faded in the seventh, but the Mets’ bullpen came to the rescue. Taylor Buchholz recorded the biggest out, retiring Troy Tulowitzki on a deep line drive to left field with the tying runs on base. Jason Isringhausen then put the tying runs on base in the eighth and escaped before Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth.
The lefty Niese allowed five earned runs on seven hits and two walks over 6 **1/3** innings. He carried a 7-2 lead into the seventh before allowing a walk and two straight singles that gave the Rockies a run. Seth Smith’s two-run double off Michael O’Connor completed the line on Niese.
Jimenez’s afternoon ended on Reyes’ two-run single in the fourth that gave the Mets a 5-1 lead. But Beltran’s run production alone would have sufficed.
“I’ve never seen a day like that before, and I’ve seen a lot of real good players play,” manager Terry Collins said. “[Beltran] just said, ‘Hop on, I’ll take you in this one.’ ”