DENVER — In need of a spiritual boost, the Mets last night turned to the Book of Duda-ronomy.
Lucas Duda hit one high and another low, carrying the Mets on a night they desperately needed to forget the pounding they had received a day earlier.
Duda came to the rescue, matching a career high with four RBIs that led the Mets’ 7-5 victory over the Rockies before 38,798 at Coors Field.
After hitting a two-run homer against Guillermo Moscoso in the second inning, Duda delivered a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth, helping the Mets win for the fourth time in five games and cleanse their palates from an 18-9 whooping on Friday.
“It’s kind of hard to adjust being so high up,” Duda said, referring to the mile-high altitude. “But it is fun to hit here.”
It’s been a solid week for Duda, who also delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 2-1 victory over the Marlins on Tuesday. David Wright was the other Mets offensive catalyst last night with a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance.
Manager Terry Collins said Duda recently has made subtle changes to his approach — with help from hitting coach Dave Hudgens — that have paid dividends.
“His swing is better,” Collins said. “He and Dave worked on some things last week. They got the films from last year out and found a couple of things he was doing differently. He hit four balls on the button today.
“[Duda] is not coming off the ball. He’s really not trying to pull the ball as much. Guys are talking to him about keeping his head in the strike zone a little bit longer, and I think it’s helped him.”
Dillon Gee (2-2) survived a rough fourth inning in which he allowed three runs to get the Mets through seven with a lead. The performance was much needed after the Mets’ bullpen worked four innings the previous night, surrendering 12 runs.
On his 26th birthday, Gee allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits over seven innings with six strikeouts and two walks. It was a rebound performance for Gee, who allowed seven runs over 6 2/3 innings in a loss to the Giants on Monday.
Tim Byrdak gave the Mets a perfect eighth inning before Frank Francisco earned his fifth save after allowing a solo homer to Dexter Fowler in the ninth.
The rubber game of the series is today when Jamie Moyer, whose first career victory came just days after the start of the Colorado gold rush, faces Johan Santana. The 49-year-old Moyer became the oldest pitcher in major league history to record a victory earlier this month.
The Mets took a 6-4 lead in the fifth after assembling an impressive two-out rally. Ruben Tejada and Daniel Murphy singled in succession to begin the rally before Wright slapped an RBI single to right, tying the game. Wright stole second, and Duda’s roller through the middle put the Mets on top.
“Balls are starting to fall a little more, a little bit of luck and just sort of relaxing,” Duda said of his recent success.
Duda’s two-run homer to right in the second got the Mets started, after Wright had reached on a leadoff single.
In the fourth, the Rockies sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on five hits to take a 4-3 lead. But Gee rebounded and lasted long enough to throw a career-high 116 pitches.