Since our intrepid mountain-based friends left Citi Field with a sweep, carrying a 10-2 record forward, they’ve played 8-12 baseball. That’s still good enough for 18-14, first place in the NL West, but some things have changed as the Mets prepare to face Colorado tonight at Coors Field. Here’s a handy guide:
- Troy Tulowitzki left Citi Field with a batting line of .364/.491/.909. Seriously. Since then? He’s hit .182/.241/.299. So maybe don’t walk him intentionally with the bases loaded, which seemed like the smart play the last time the Mets faced the Rockies.
- Todd Helton is quietly having another Todd Helton year. His line since last time the two teams met? .299/.356/.493. On the season, he’s at .313/.362/.490. He’s been the model of consistency, as usual (which is kind of how consistency works).
- Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado’s best player, looked like he was breaking out of a season-long slump in the doubleheader sweep of the Mets on April 14. But apparently not. Since then, he’s at .227/.303/.318, and .241/.305/.336 for the season. For reference, that means his slugging percentage in 2011 is identical to his batting average in 2010, a year in which he slugged .598.
- Wins have come thanks to Chris Iannetta and his Iannetta-ish ways (.244/.370/.489, production that should have made him a Mets trade target years ago). Jonathan Herrera’s magical ability to double his OPS from the minor leagues has subsided- he was at .458/.594/.708 after the sweep, but just .232/.321/.275 since.
- Among the pitchers, Jorge de la Rosa is pretty much exactly the same guy he was when the Mets lost to him in the second game of the sweep- at 3.18 ERA after that start, 3.12 ERA in four starts since. The Mets missed Monday night’s starter Jhoulys Chacin (2.85 ERA , 3.00 since last Mets series) and Ubaldo Jimenez. Jimenez is at a 5.88 ERA for the season, and walked five in his last start, but his past success doesn’t make him a matchup the Mets can anticipate. Greg Reynolds, who pitched in his stead, is now out of the rotation.
