Taijuan Walker pitched seven scoreless innings leading the Mets to just their second shutout win in the history of Coors Field, as they downed the Rockies, 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. The win upped the Mets’ record to 14-1 after a loss and gave them another series win.
Walker had all of his pitches working and got tons of ground ball outs and strikeouts. He also got some good help from his defense, specifically Luis Guillorme, who got the start at third base and made several nice plays. Walker finished with 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB and 6 Ks. He lowered his season ERA to 2.70 with the outing.
The Mets didn’t do much offensively but took advantage of the one good scoring opportunity they had. Brandon Nimmo led off the sixth inning with a single and when the RF bobbled the ball, Nimmo hit the jets and wound up on third base. The Rockies played the infield in and Francisco Lindor singled for the first run of the game. Jeff McNeil followed with a bloop double and Pete Alonso drove in the second run with a ground out.
Adam Ottavino and Joely Rodriguez combined to get the Mets thru the eighth inning and Edwin Diaz had two strikeouts in the ninth en route to his 10th save of the season.
The Mets were outscored in the three-game series in Denver, 12-10, yet took two games. Not often will you score just 10 runs in Colorado and come out with two wins. They’re now 28-15 for the season and head out to San Francisco for a three-game set against the Giants.
Kudos to Walker with an excellent start in the rubber game. The Mets are going about their business despite to loss of multiple starters. If they can hold their own on the coast this week it will be another good sign.
Huge three games coming up against a good team (the Giants) getting better and in their home park. Mets need to make a statement that they are not weakened due to injuries and that they are a legit contender, to be feared when they come to your town.
I’m pretty gratified that finally Luis G is finally getting to show his stuff. I always loved his intense concentration at the plate and was always frustrated that he just could not get enough at bats to let his talent show through. I’m hoping his emergence as a bonfide everyday infielder will kick Escobar into gear. I know Escobar is better than he has shown in the past few weeks… the worst hitting imaginable. JD Davis is also threatened for more playing time by Guillorme, and JD is hitting about as poor as Esco. We know both those guys are capable, but at least we have options with Guillermo hitting .330 and playing stellar D. Nothing like a little intra-team competition for playing time to make guys focus…
Gut Reaction: Walker pitched a gem. They have to rely on him, Bassitt and Carrasco to pitch consistently well for the next two months. That is alot of pressure.
Guillorme lead the team in OPS with .857. Keep playing him. Davis has 587 OPS and Smith 517 OPS. Another series win. I expect that won’t be the case in San Francisco. More like 1-2 but a split on 3-3 on the road trip. LGM