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Uribe and Cuddyer had back-to-back two-out RBI hits in the
fourth inning Wednesday night, when ace right-handed pitcher
Jacob deGrom threw seven shutout innings and combined with two
relievers on a three-hitter as the Mets blanked the Colorado
Rockies 3-0 at Citi Field.
Cuddyer, who signed with the Mets last fall, drove home Uribe
with his fourth-inning single, which was the 1,500th hit of his
career. Uribe, whom the Mets acquired on July 24, singled in his
next at-bat for his 1,500th hit. The crowd of 37,175 applauded
later in the game when the scoreboard displayed their
achievements.
"Three thousand hits tonight," Cuddyer said with a grin. "We're
in the Hall of Fame if we can go in as a tandem."
They might be headed there as individuals if Mets manager Terry
Collins had any say in the matter.
"We've been very lucky -- I have truly been lucky -- to get
those kind of guys there," Collins said. "They play the game
right. Juan Uribe, he's got two World Series rings, he's made a
ton of money, he plays the game right. And that's what makes a
difference in the clubhouse."
In the fourth, Uribe fouled off three pitches against Rockies
left-hander Jorge De La Rosa before he doubled to deep
centerfield to score center fielder Juan Lagares.
"You can't press in the big moment, so to speak," Cuddyer said.
"Juan's at-bat was huge. What was that, a (six-) pitch at-bat?
With a runner on second and two outs and he was able to get that
guy in. I think that fueled us."
Cuddyer, who came off the disabled list Monday after missing
almost three weeks with a sore left knee, singled two pitches
later to score Uribe. Cuddyer then advanced to second base on a
wild pitch, though he was stranded there.
It was the second straight night Cuddyer has run all-out despite
playing on a left knee that is less than 100 percent. He scored
from second on a single on Tuesday, when he also stole a base.
"When the star players play like that -- if you don't play like
that, it's so obvious, it's easy to be addressed," Collins said.
Uribe's veteran savvy helped bail deGrom out of his biggest jam
of the night in the top of the fifth. Rockies second baseman
D.J. LeMahieu led off with a ground rule double and stole third
as catcher Michael McHenry drew a walk.
Left fielder Brandon Barnes struck out, after which De La Rosa
laid down a suicide squeeze. But LeMahieu, who was halfway down
the line when Uribe fielded the ball, retreated as Uribe
momentarily faked a throw home before he fired to first to get
De La Rosa.
"I know (there's) a runner at third base, they're going to
follow the ball and I know they're going to follow me, which is
why I got a little fake," Uribe said.
DeGrom then struck out center fielder Charlie Blackmon to end
the threat.
"Last thing I wanted to do was give up the lead," deGrom said. "
So I really bared down there and tried to make my pitches and
luckily got out of it."
DeGrom walked four -- as many walks as he issued in his last
five starts combined -- but allowed just two hits and struck out
10 as he lowered his ERA to 2.02, the second-best mark in
baseball behind Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke
(1.65).
Right-hander Tyler Clippard threw a perfect eighth and
right-hander Jeurys Familia posted his 32nd save with a one-hit
ninth for the Mets, whose pitchers have not allowed a run in the
last 23 innings.
Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes hit his first National League homer
in the eighth for the first-place Mets (62-52), who have won the
first three games of the four-game series.
New York will remain at least 2 1/2 games ahead of the
Washington Nationals in the National League East. The Nationals
played the Los Angeles Dodgers later Wednesday night.
LeMahieu had two hits and a stolen base for the Rockies (47-65),
who have limited the Mets to 11 runs and 21 hits in the last
three games.
"Our pitching is doing a really good job," said Rockies right
fielder Carlos Gonzalez, whose two-run homer in the fourth
inning Monday remains the only offense Colorado has mustered
this series. "But their pitching is just better right now."
De La Rosa (7-5) didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and
ended up surrendering the two runs on four hits and two walks
while striking out seven over six innings.
"That's a great start by Jorge," Rockies manager Walt Weiss
said. "Unfortunately he's matched up against a guy that didn't
give up anything."
NOTES: The Mets recalled C Anthony Recker from Triple-A Las
Vegas and optioned C Kevin Plawecki to the same affiliate.
Manager Terry Collins said bringing back Recker, the Mets'
backup catcher most of the last three seasons, is an indication
that C Travis d'Arnaud is ready to play almost every day.
D'Arnaud has played only 28 games this season due to two stints
on the disabled list. ... Mets 1B Lucas Duda (back) was out of
the lineup for a second straight day. ... The Rockies purchased
the contract of 1B/OF Matt McBride from Triple-A Albuquerque and
designated for assignment OF Drew Stubbs. ... Rockies LHP Jorge
De La Rosa made his 211th major league start Wednesday. The rest
of the Rockies' rotation -- RHP Eddie Butler, LHP Yohan Flande,
RHP Jon Gray and LHP Chris Rusin -- have combined for just 66
big league starts.
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