Mother Nature was once again mean to the New York Mets as snow showers prevented the first game of their series with the Colorado Rockies. Thanks to the snow, the Mets will play their second straight doubleheader after another cancellation.
Washington ?
Philadelphia ??
Colorado ??Some teams will try anything to avoid facing deGrom. ? pic.twitter.com/ZglN9yBA2R
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 16, 2021
7 of the original 15 games for the Mets have already been canceled, and there may still be more cancellations in the upcoming week. Despite the wacky schedule, the Mets sit in first place by half a game over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rockies are a much different story. Trevor Story is the lone star on the team after Nolan Arenado was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning the rebuilding period for the Rockies. They have lost six straight games, but Ryan McMahon has started strong by leading the team in batting average, home runs, RBIs, and hits.
Pitching Matchups
Jacob deGrom gets the ball for game one and has been as good as advertised to begin the season. The Mets are 0-2 in his starts, but none of it is deGrom’s fault. A combination of bad defense and ugly offense has wasted his outings. Coors Field is hell for most pitchers, but deGrom has faired well with a 2.51 ERA in two prior starts in Colorado.
Chi Chi Gonzalez starts for the Rockies and has a 3.60 ERA over 3 outings (1 start) this season. Gonzalez only has five strikeouts in 10 innings pitched and has not pitched in a week. He will likely be on a short leash in his outing as the Rockies try to build his stamina.
Joey Lucchesi makes his first start with the Mets in the nightcap. Lucchesi has had a long rest after pitching two scoreless innings in the Mets third game of the season. After spending three seasons with the San Diego Padres, Lucchesi is very familiar with Coors Field but has a 5.56 ERA in five prior starts. He will be another pitcher who is not expected to pitch deep into the game.
German Marquez will pitch for the Rockies and looks to build on two straight solid outings where he allowed three runs in both. The Achilles heel for Marquez has been the inability to limit base runners. His 1.79 WHIP is dead last among qualified starters, and the Mets offense is known for their ability to flood the bases and work deep counts.