Mets blank Rockies, 3-0

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[August 13, 2015]  NEW YORK -- Were Juan Uribe and Michael Cuddyer to be combined, they'd likely form one Hall of Fame player. For now, the New York Mets will settle for Uribe and Cuddyer teaming up on a playoff run.

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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