Craig Kimbrel surrendered a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning as the New York Mets let a late lead slip away in a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. The Mets dropped to 14-23 while the Rockies improved to 15-23.
Christian Scott appeared poised to earn the first victory of his young career after turning in another strong outing. The right-hander retired the side on just nine pitches in the first inning and finished with six strikeouts across 4.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits while lowering his ERA to 3.27.
The Mets gave Scott early support in the second inning against former teammate Jose Quintana. Andy Ibáñez lifted a sacrifice fly before Tyrone Taylor added an RBI single to put New York ahead 2-0. Austin Slater helped spark the rally and finished 2-for-3.
New York threatened again in the third after Juan Soto tripled off the wall, but Mark Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play. That missed opportunity loomed large as Quintana settled in, allowing just two runs over 5.2 innings.
The Rockies finally tied the game in the sixth when Jake McCarthy ripped a two-out RBI double off Huascar Brazobán. Austin Warren escaped further trouble and followed with a scoreless seventh to keep the game even entering the eighth.
That’s when everything unraveled for the Mets. Kimbrel loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before McCarthy crushed a grand slam to right field, giving Colorado its first lead of the afternoon. Kimbrel’s ERA ballooned to 7.56 after the disastrous outing.
The Mets managed only six hits and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Soto finished 1-for-4 and stranded two runners with a seventh-inning popup.
The Mets continue their road trip Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. as Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.97 ERA) faces Ryne Nelson (1-3, 6.61 ERA).
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].