when the New York Mets come to Denver, it usually means bad weather heading to Colorado
Three times since 2013, games have been postponed due to inclement weather, including last season when the first game of a three-game series was canceled due to snow and cold.
There is no snow forecast for the trip from New York to Colorado to play the Rocky Mountains this weekend, but it could rain on Friday night when the mets send Max Scherzer (3-2, 4.01 ERA) to face Colorado’s Connor Seabold (1-1, 5.97)
New York lost two of three games against the Cubs earlier in the week, but walked away from Chicago after a 10-1 victory Thursday. He metswho entered 2023 with World Series hopes, hovers around .500 despite having Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the top of the rotation.
Scherzer is 2-5 with a 4.54 ERA in 12 career starts against the Rocky Mountains, but one of them was a bad luck loss last year in Denver. Scherzer struck out 11 in seven innings and allowed the only run of the game in Colorado’s victory on August 28.
It was a rare 1-0 game in Denver, especially with Pete Alonso in the New York lineup. He won the 2021 Home Run Derby at Coors Field, his second straight win at the event, and is on pace for a career-high in home runs this season.
Alonso leads the majors with 19 long balls, including six in his last nine games, and now he’s heading to a hitter-friendly park.
“I just feel like I’m in a really good place,” Alonso said. “I’m in control of my at-bats and just understand what I can and can’t handle. I’m doing a really good job capitalizing on things in my zone, and if it’s not there, I’m not swinging.”
Elias Diaz has just six home runs for him. Rocky Mountains, but has gone deep in three of the last four games. His hitting, combined with his defense, is justifying him being the Colorado All-Star representative this summer.
“There’s an inner calm to his game from receiver,” Rocky Mountains said manager Bud Black. “There were times last year where he wasn’t hitting and he tried to make up for it on defense.
“He’s cool. His at-bats have been really solid all year. You’ve seen the clutch at-bats. You’ve seen the pinch-hit at-bats. The total game is under control.”
Diaz started at designated hitter Thursday in Colorado’s wild 7-6 win over the visiting Miami Marlins, so he’ll likely be behind the plate Friday night.
Rocky Mountains Center fielder Brenton Doyle suffered a knee injury in the ninth inning Thursday when he slammed into the outfield wall trying to catch Jorge Soler’s home run.
Black said: “We’ll know more (on Friday) but hopefully it’s just a concussion.”
Seabold, who has never faced New York, is set to make his fifth start since joining the rotation in early May.
–Field level media
