The Colorado Rockies haven’t had much to celebrate this season, but they are coming home on a roll after sweeping the Miami Marlins.
Colorado entered that series 9-50 and with just one winning streak of two games this season. The Rockies have won three straight and will try to make it four in a row when they host the surging New York Mets on Friday night.
The Mets will send Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.60 ERA) to the mound against Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 7.14) in a rematch of the Saturday game in New York.
Senga allowed just two runs in 6 1/3 innings during the Mets’ 8-2 victory. Senzatela was tagged for seven runs in four innings.
That loss was the Rockies’ seventh during an eight-game skid, but their fortunes have since brightened. The sweep was their first since May 2024, and it was their first series win of the season. Despite being on pace to shatter the Chicago White Sox’s modern record of 121 losses, set last season, the Colorado players are not focusing on the negativity.
“It feels amazing to get the sweep,” said catcher Hunter Goodman, who went 7-for-13 with three home runs against the Marlins. “We’ve played some of the best teams in baseball the last two weeks, and it’s felt like we were one swing away every game. To just be able to finish some games and win three in a row like we did this week gives us a lot of momentum.”
Senzatela will try to keep that momentum going against New York. In seven career appearances (six starts) against the Mets, he is 2-4 with a 4.24 ERA.
Senga has been more successful against the Rockies, going 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts. He has 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings against Colorado, but Friday will be his first outing in Denver.
New York is coming off a tough 6-5 defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. The Mets split the four-game series in Los Angeles but have won nine of their past 12 overall.
They might not have Francisco Lindor available due to a fractured right pinky toe, but New York has not placed the shortstop on the injured list. Lindor sustained the injury when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
He remained in the game but did not play Thursday, and manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor is considered day-to-day.
Lindor is hopeful he can start the opener in Denver.
“If I can tolerate the pain, yes, I will play,” he said. “If I can’t, then it’d be unfair to play with 25 guys on the roster. It’s not fair for the guys that are here. Hopefully I feel good enough.”
His eagerness to oppose Colorado is justified, as Lindor went 6-for-11 with three home runs during the sweep in New York last weekend. He also prefers to play in the field and not serve as the designated hitter.
“The way I see it is, if I’m good enough to hit and run, I should be able and good enough to play shortstop,” Lindor said.
–Field Level Media
