Rockies at Mets
Jacob deGrom won the National League Cy Young Award last year despite winning only 10 games and he continues to struggle picking up victories this season. DeGrom, who has won only once in 10 starts since opening the season with back-to-back victories, will face one of his favorite teams when the New York Mets host the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in the opener of a three-game set.
DeGrom is unbeaten in six career starts, posting a 4-0 record and microscopic 1.02 ERA for New York, which answered a three-game losing streak by winning two straight against San Francisco. Jeff McNeil returned from the disabled list and went 6-for-12 against the Giants, including a pair of RBIs in Thursday's 7-3 victory. Colorado has won nine of 11 after averting a three-game sweep with a 3-1 victory at the Chicago Cubs on Thursday to improve to 14-17 away from home. While Nolan Arenado had a 15-game hitting streak halted Thursday, David Dahl has both hit safely and scored a run in eight straight games, going 17-for-33 in that span.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (4-4, 5.33 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (3-5, 3.49)
Senzatela ended a three-start winless drought against Toronto on Sunday, picking up the victory by limiting the Blue Jays to one run on four hits over six innings. He also turned in a quality start in his previous appearance against Arizona by allowing two runs on nine hits over six innings, but he was roughed up for eight runs over 3 1/3 innings in his last road start at Pittsburgh on May 23. Left-handed hitters are batting a robust .340 against Senzatela, who has made one relief appearance versus the Mets.
DeGrom has gone nearly a month without a victory, extending his winless streak to four starts after giving up one run over 6 2/3 innings at Arizona on Saturday before exiting the contest with a cramp in his hip. It was the third consecutive no-decision for the 30-year-old, who has yielded two runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings but has one win to show for it. Arenado is only 2-for-17 against deGrom, who is 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA at home despite holding opposing hitters to a .219 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Mets have homered in 13 straight games at Citi Field, the most since it opened in 2009.
2. Rockies CF Ian Desmond collected two hits Thursday to end an 0-for-11 rut.
3. Mets 2B Robinson Cano sat out Thursday after aggravating a quad strain and will be re-evaluated Friday.