Yorvit Torrealba (above) hugs Jordan Pacheco after Pacheco’s game-winning single gave the Rockies a come-from-behind 9-8 victory over the Mets in Game 2.
LOOONG DAY: The Rockies’ Michael Cuddyer beats the tag by Mets catcher John Buck during Colorado’s 8-4 Game 1 win yesterday at Coors Field. Yorvit Torrealba (inset) hugs Jordan Pacheco after Pacheco’s game-winning single gave the Rockies a come-from-behind 9-8 victory over the Mets in Game 2. (AP)
DENVER — The Mets might want to spend the day in bed trying to sleep off the altitude sickness Ruben Tejada inflicted upon them last night.
After Tejada’s throwing error in the eighth inning gave the Rockies new life, Jordan Pacheco’s RBI single off Greg Burke in the 10th sent Colorado to a 9-8 victory and doubleheader sweep of the Mets at Coors Field.
Michael Cuddyer’s single off David Wright’s glove in the 10th — the play was originally scored an error, before getting changed to a hit — set the stage for Pacheco to win it.
It came after Tejada’s sixth error of the season, on a wild throw in the eighth inning, allowed the Rockies to tie the game at 8-8. With Bobby Parnell summoned for a four-out save, Cuddyer hit a grounder that should have been the third out, but Tejada fired wide of Ike Davis at first base, allowing two runs to score.
“It was a bad throw,” Tejada said. “The game is on the line right there, so I have to make the plays.”
In the 10th, Carlos Gonzalez walked with two outs before Cuddyer hit a hard grounder that bounced off Wright’s glove. Pacheco then delivered to end the four-hour, 19 minute game.
In the opener, Dillon Gee fared only slightly better than Frosty the Snowman would have for the Mets, who lost 8-4 in front of several hundred hearty souls who braved the frigid conditions after shovelers — including general manager Sandy Alderson for a stint — spent six hours removing eight inches of snow from the field.
”We lost two games and we had a chance to win the second game, and it would have been easier to take,” manager Terry Collins said, referring to the conditions. “But I’m not going to use the weather as an excuse.”
With snow in today’s forecast, the teams could be headed for a postponement and doubleheader tomorrow to complete this four-game series.
The Mets got rolling offensively in Game 2, scoring five runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-2 lead. Marlon Byrd had a two-run single in that fifth inning against Jeff Francis as part of a three-RBI performance.
Aaron Laffey, in his second start, lasted just four innings and surrendered two earned runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Scott Atchison was the pitching standout with two innings of shutout relief after Josh Edgin allowed the Rockies back in the game with four runs in the fifth.
In Game 1, Gee (0-3) lasted just 4 2/3 innings and surrendered five earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He lasted just three innings against the Phillies in his previous start, allowing seven runs.
”Dillon is the kind of guy who when right gets you into the seventh inning, and we’ve got to get him going,” Collins said.
Gee refused to use the cold conditions — temperatures sunk to 34 degrees as the game progressed — as an excuse.
“It’s not fun, but everybody out there is cold, so it’s no excuse,” said Gee, who watched at least two grounders that might have been routine outs under normal conditions just elude his defense. “I thought I made some decent pitches and got what I was looking for — ground balls.”
It was all hands on deck before the game, as Rockies owner Dick Monfort and general manager Dan O’Dowd were among the early arrivals, joining dozens of team employees, to shovel snow. Alderson joined the snow removal crew in the afternoon.
This after a snowstorm had caused the postponement of Monday’s game. The Mets also had their game in Minnesota on Sunday postponed by wintery conditions, including snow. That game is scheduled to be played on Aug. 19.
Collins said his team’s energy level wasn’t right in Game 1.
”The two days off really hurt,” Collins said.
Wright hit two home runs against Juan Nicasio, but it wasn’t enough to overshadow Gee’s rough performance.
Todd Helton stroked a two-run single in the fifth to give the Rockies a 5-4 lead and end Gee’s afternoon. Gee walked Cuddyer with the bases loaded for the inning’s first run. Gonzalez had walked and Troy Tulowitzki was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
The Rockies extended their lead in the sixth on Eric Young’s RBI single against Brandon Lyon. Young then smashed an RBI triple against Greg Burke in the eighth and Jonathan Herrera’s run-scoring single accounted for Colorado’s final run.
Tejada’s RBI single in the fourth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead before Wright hit a solo homer an inning later. John Buck’s single and a walk to Lucas Duda started the rally that culminated with Tejada’s RBI single.
Wright’s two-run homer in the first inning gave the Mets a fast lead. Daniel Murphy walked before Wright hammered a shot into the right-field bullpen for his first homer since Sept. 27 of last year.