DENVER – Nolan Arenado extended the longest hitting streak in the majors. Charlie Blackmon and Troy Tulowitzki combined for six hits, five runs batted in and five runs.
The Colorado Rockies have battered New York Mets’ pitching, which came into Coors Field as the team’s strength.
Blackmon homered among his three hits, Jorge De La Rosa pitched effectively for six innings, and the Rockies beat the Mets 10-3 on Friday night for their sixth win in seven games.
Tulowitzki added three hits and three RBIs, and Arenado singled in the seventh to extend his career-best hitting streak to 22 games.
“It’s been awesome being part of this lineup,” Arenado said. “We’ve got guys that compete and come out swinging. Even guys coming off the bench come out swinging. It’s a good feeling to have, knowing our offense is always there. It’s a lot of fun being part of this.”
The Mets’ pitching staff has borne the brunt of it, giving up 17 runs in dropping the first two games of a four-game set. New York dropped Thursday night’s opener 7-4 and has allowed seven or more runs in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Zack Wheeler (1-3) gave up seven runs in four innings. It was both the shortest start of his big-league career and the most runs he’s allowed in an outing. That followed Thursday’s start by Bartolo Colon, who yielded seven runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings.
“They are swinging the bats great. You have to find someone to stop them,” Mets’ manager Terry Collins said.
While Wheeler said he had a tough time pitching in the Mile High City’s thin air, the Rockies had no problem swinging in it.
“I honestly did not have a clue of what movement the ball was going to take,” Wheeler said. “All my balls were running; my two-seamer was cutting. When they did hit it, they found holes. It was one of those days that I got my groundballs, but they found holes.”
The Mets didn’t have the same fortune, in part because of the flashy play at third base by Arenado, whose hitting streak is tied for the third-longest in team history. He made an eye-catching stop of Chris Young’s sharply hit grounder down the line in the eighth, ranging to his right and then finishing the play with an off-balance throw across the diamond that was right on the money.
“This guy is making a highlight play it seems like every night,” Rockies’ manager Walt Weiss said. “I’ve never seen anybody that accurate with the throw on the move when he’s ranging far right and far left.”
De La Rosa (3-3) allowed three runs and eight hits, including a two-run homer by Curtis Granderson in the sixth. The left-hander struck out four and walked three in winning his third in a row since an 0-3 start.
“I think my command is better,” De La Rosa said. “I’m still walking people, walked three (Friday). But I think when I needed to throw a quality pitch, I did, and that’s the key.”
Granderson’s second homer of the season in the sixth pulled the Mets to 7-3, but the Rockies came back to score three more in the seventh, triggered by Blackmon’s leadoff homer against reliever Carlos Torres.
Wheeler was in trouble from the outset, despite being staked to a 1-0 lead in the first. The Rockies got to him for four runs in the bottom half to move in front.
The first five Colorado batters all reached via a hit or walk, with Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario producing RBI singles, and Justin Morneau hitting a run-scoring double. Corey Dickerson drove in the fourth run with a sacrifice fly.
Colorado pushed its lead to 6-1 on Tulowitzki’s two-run single in the second and made it 7-1 in the fourth on Blackmon’s RBI groundout.
Juan Lagares doubled to open the game, went to third on a single by Daniel Murphy and scored when a wild pitch by De La Rosa got past Rosario.
Rockies rumpus
Commissioner Bud Selig, who announced this would be his final season as baseball’s chief executive, attended the game as part of his farewell tour of major league parks. He warmly was received by the crowd when he was introduced over the public address system between innings. ... Juan Lagares extended his hitting streak to 11 games, one shy of his career high. ... Before the game, the Rockies placed INF Josh Rutledge on the 15-day disabled list because of a viral infection and recalled INF Ryan Wheeler from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Walt Weiss said RHP Jhoulys Chacin (right shoulder strain) will be activated from the disabled list to start Sunday against the Mets. ... Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez, who bruised his left index finger when he fouled off a pitch Thursday night, sat out but could be back in the lineup as soon as Saturday, according to Weiss. ... Former Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla, now a special assistant to the general manager, also had a 22-game hitting streak from Aug. 9 to Sept. 1, 1997.
