Denver, CO (Best E Casino) - Carlos Beltran clubbed a two-run home run and Mike Pelfrey tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings, as the
New York Mets topped the
Colorado Rockies, 3-1, in the rubber match of their three-game set at Coors Field.
Pelfrey (4-6) allowed just three hits and struck out five, but issued five walks and was lifted after 98 pitches. David Wright knocked in a run and scored a run, while Jose Reyes tripled and scored for the Mets, who have won three of their last four.
"It's a little different," Pelfrey said of pitching in Denver's thin air. "I got winded a little easier. But, they're out there doing the same thing, so it's nothing to complain about."
The Mets improved to 3-2 under interim manager Jerry Manuel, who replaced the fired Willie Randolph on Tuesday.
Yorvit Torrealba's solo homer accounted for the offense for the Rockies, who fell for just the third time in their last nine games. Greg Reynolds (2-5) allowed all three runs on six his over seven innings and dropped the decision.
The top of the Mets lineup gave New York the lead in the first. Reyes led off with a triple to right-center, then scored one out later on Wright's infield single.
Beltran's 11th homer of the season allowed the Mets to tack on two more runs in the third. Wright worked a two-out walk and Beltran followed with a blast deep into the seats in right to open up a 3-0 lead.
"As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going to be gone, and I was happy because it gave us two more runs right there," Beltran said.
Pelfrey worked around baserunners in the first five innings to keep the Rockies scoreless, but after walks to Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe put two men on with two outs in the sixth, Joe Smith came on in relief. Smith escaped the inning, getting Tulowitzki to ground out to second.
Colorado finally got on board in the bottom of the seventh, as Torrealba led off by drilling a 2-1 fastball from Smith into the seats in left. But, Smith didn't let the Rockies get any closer, and Duaner Sanchez worked around a two- out walk to Hawpe in a scoreless eighth.
Billy Wagner worked a perfect ninth for his 17th save, striking out Torrealba and pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs before Beltran ended the game by robbing Willy Taveras, snaring his liner to center just before it fell for a hit.
Game Notes
Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday went 1-for-4 and extended his hit streak against the Mets to 24 games...Colorado was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men on base...The Rockies begin a six-game road trip on Monday with the first of three games at Kansas City...The Mets finished 4-2 on their six-game road trip and return to Shea Stadium on Monday to start a three-game set with the Mariners.