NEW YORK _ The Mets lost to the Rockies, 8-7, Friday night at Citi Field, and this time it's impossible to blame the hitting.
The lineup burst out _ a relative phrase _ with more than triple their total amount of runs from the Mets' previous three games. But Zack Wheeler put the Mets in a deep hole early, allowing hits to six of the first seven batters in a 29-pitch first inning in which he allowed five runs.
The Mets have lost four in a row, five of six and 11 of 16.
This time, at least, they put up a fight late, forcing Colorado closer Wade Davis into the game. With two runs in the eighth (Todd Frazier two-run home run) and three more in the ninth (including Asdrubal Cabrera's RBI triple), Michael Conforto batted with the potential game-winning run on base with two outs in the ninth. He struck out swinging.
Wheeler settled in enough to last six innings, but gave up eight runs (matching his career-high), eight hits and two walks. In the sixth, he yielded a home run to catcher Tony Wolters, who hadn't gone deep in 364 plate appearances since August 2016.
Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in the first inning, the team's first runs since Tuesday. Frazier (2-for-5) and Amed Rosario (2-for-4) were the other Mets with multiple hits.
The Mets' offense, the depth of which manager Mickey Callaway cited in spring training as the aspect of his team that most excites him, is averaging 4.53 runs per game, a tick above the league average. Their five runs in the late innings Friday were more than double their total on the week entering the night.
