The punchless Rockies had no answers to the Colorado Kid and the “Polar Bear.”
Behind lefty David Peterson, a 2014 Regis Jesuit graduate, and slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, the Mets drubbed the Rockies 9-1 on a cool, cloudy afternoon at Coors Field. New York won the three-game series, halting a mini-streak by the Rockies, who had won three consecutive series at home.
Peterson, in his first start at Coors, limited the Rockies to one run on four hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked three. In three career games vs. Colorado, he’s 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA.
“It was fun to finally (pitch here),” Peterson said. “I’ve missed (a start) every time we’ve played here before. So this was fun. And it’s always good to pitch in front of family and friends.”
Peterson said he had close to 30 friends and family at the ballpark, including his wife, Alex, and their newborn daughter, Josephine.
“Our offensive did a tremendous job, as well as the defense behind (me),” Peterson said. “It was just a great team win.”
Colorado threatened a big inning in the fifth, loading the bases, but Peterson struck out Kris Bryant with two men on base to limit the damage to one run on Brenton Doyle’s sacrifice fly.
Alonso, nicknamed the Polar Bear by teammate Todd Frazier during spring training in 2019, won the 2021 Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game at Coors Field in 2021. His first two at-bats on Thursday were Derby-worthy and good for 925 feet.
In the Mets’ four-run first inning, he crushed a 471-foot, two-run homer off Austin Gomber, the second-longest homer of his career. In the third, he blasted a 454-foot solo shot off Gomber. It marked the 21st multi-homer game of Alonso’s career and his second this season.
Gomber’s day was short and ugly. Over three innings, the Mets pounded him for five runs on six hits, including Alonso’s two homers. The six extra-base hits he allowed were a career-high.
“I thought I just had one of those days when I didn’t have good stuff,” Gomber said. “Nothing really had bite. I’ve felt good for, really, the better part of last two months, physically.
“But today was just one of those days in August. I knew that early on. Everything was just kind of a couple of ticks down. That makes the game hard, and this game is hard enough. It makes it tough when you don’t have your best stuff.”
Francisco Lindor, Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez opened the game with consecutive doubles, followed by Alonso’s homer. It marked just the second time in franchise history that the Rockies allowed four extra-base hits to begin a game. The first time was on July 6, 2021, in Arizona.
The first inning has been Gomber’s Achilles’ heel for most of the season. He’s allowed 28 of his 66 runs in the opening frame, the most in the majors. In the first, opponents are hitting .380 with nine doubles and six home runs. Gomber’s first-inning ERA is 11.46.
“It’s been rocky,” manager Bud Black said. “If you go back and look at it, it’s probably (about) pitch location. With Austin it comes down to pitch location. Same as today.”
The left-hander remains an enigma. His magical May (1-0, 0.68 ERA over four starts) has been replaced by inconsistency. In 12 starts since then, he’s 2-5 with a 7.01 ERA.
Lambert hurts thumb. Right-hander Peter Lambert relieved Gomber in the fourth inning and came away with a badly bruised left thumb. X-rays were taken but revealed no broken bones.
The inning ended when Francisco Lindor hit a hot shot back to the mound and the ball glanced off Lambert’s glove and into shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s glove. Tovar threw to first to double up Tyrone Taylor.
Lambert pitched two more innings, but his thumb swelled up and he was removed from the game.
Feltner update. Right-hander Ryan Feltner, who was pulled from Wednesday night’s game after one inning because of strain to his right shoulder/upper lat, was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday. Right-handed reliever Riley Pint was called up to replace Feltner on the roster.
“It was one of those things where it was getting worse, and I didn’t want to make it worse than worse,” Feltner said. “It was definitely not getting better, definitely not loosening up, and was tightening up on me.”
“We are going to get an image (taking) today, just to be safe,” manager Bud Black said. “Our training staff is confident that he is going to be fine.”
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Friday’s pitching matchup
Braves TBA at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-3, 6.75 ERA)
6:40 p.m. Friday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Gordon is making some slow progress. The rookie right-hander, scheduled to make his fifth start, is coming off a no-decision vs. San Diego, but he pitched a solid game. He held the Padres hitless for the first four innings and tossed six innings, allowing one run on one hit while striking out four and walking just one. He’s pitched six innings or more in three of his four career starts. The last Colorado starter to pitch six or more innings in three of his first four starts was Antonio Senzatela from April 6-22, 2017.
The Braves were scheduled to start rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach, but the Braves announced Thursday that his start was being skipped to ensure he doesn’t carry too many innings.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Braves LHP Max Fried (7-6, 3.40) at Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (7-8, 4.56), 6:10 p.m.
Sunday: Braves TBA at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (3-5, 5.65), 1:10 p.m.
