4/18/21 Game Preview: New York Mets at Colorado Rockies

The Mets split their doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies yesterday, and today they try to grab the rubber game at Coors Field. They were lucky to escape subfreezing temperatures on Saturday night which only proves that meteorologists really have no idea what to tell you about the weather. So if you’re headed to the game in Denver, just wear everything you packed in your suitcase and be safe.

How to Enjoy

It’s a 3:10 start which you can find on the mothership: SNY with Gare and Ron as Keith is getting his second shot in Florida. Also for you radio fans, WCBS 800 and WQBU 92.7 are there for you. If you’re in Denver, it’s AT&T Sportsnet on television (if for some reason you’re in Denver and not at the game), or if you like to listen to the radio while you’re in the park, the Rockies radio crew is on KOA 850 AM and KNRV 1150.

The Pitchers

Marcus Stroman is off to a great start with a 2-0 record with an 0.75 ERA and his sinkers are inducing ground ball after ground ball.

Antonio Senzatela is off to an uneven start. He’s 1-2 with a 7.07 ERA and a WHIP of 1.64 in 14 innings and that includes two terrible starts against the Dodgers which sandwich a start against the Diamondbacks at Coors where he pitched 8 shutout innings.

The Lineups

For the good guys …

https://twitter.com/Mets/status/1383820242728591368

This seems to be your straight forward lineup that you’ll see most often with the Mets going forward.

And for the home nine:

Sun·day
/ˈsəndā,ˈsəndē/
noun

The day of the week before Monday and following Saturday pic.twitter.com/4dUD22rUww

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 18, 2021

Raimel Tapia flips to the leadoff spot while Josth Fuentes drops from his usual sixth spot to seventh as Garrett Hampson hits sixth

Game Notes

• Marcus Stroman’s ground ball rate over his first two starts is 65.7% which, if it holds up throughout the long season, would be the highest in his career.
• Stroman has also had success at Coors Field. In his two starts, he’s 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA and a WHIP of 0.86. The win came as a Met in September of 2019, a 6-1 victory where he only got seven ground balls out of 24 batters faced.
• Senzatela has also had success against the Mets, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP against the Mets in his career.
• Brandon Nimmo’s numbers in Coors Field continue to be amazing. Going into yesterday’s doubleheader, Nimmo hit .353 with a 1.111 OPS in 37 plate appearances. with four HR’s and 10 RBI. In the doubleheader, Nimmo went 3-for-6.
• The last time the Mets were in Colorado in April, Sandy Alderson had to use his shovel to help get Coors Field clear of snow for those games. Perhaps he’ll be using the same shovel to dig out of the hole he created when he re-hired a guy who he was told was a creep.