Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Series preview: Mets at Rockies

NEW YORK METS (21-13, first place/NL East) at COLORADO ROCKIES (16-18, third place/NL West)

Friday: RHP Matt Harvey (3-4, 4.50) vs. RHP Jon Gray (0-1, 5.40), 8:40 p.m. ET

Saturday: RHP Logan Verrett (3-0, 1.27) vs. RHP Eddie Butler (1-1, 3.86), 8:10 p.m. ET

Sunday: RHP Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.12) vs. RHP Tyler Chatwood (4-3, 3.09), 4:10 p.m. ET

ROCKIES SHORT HOPS

  • Nolan Arenado leads the majors with 13 homers. He has the most RBIs in the majors since the start of the 2015 season with 161. Josh Donaldson ranks second with 144.

  • Shortstop Trevor Story is the reigning National League Rookie of the Month. His 10 long balls were the most ever by an NL rookie in April, surpassing the eight produced by Albert Pujols in 2001 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Story became the first player in major league history to produce seven homers in his team’s first six games of a season. He became the first NL player with two homers in his major league debut. Story has struck out a league-high 50 times in 139 at-bats. While Story is not considered Troy Tulowitzki defensively, he does have a very solid arm and range as well as quickness.

  • Jose Reyes remains suspended with pay under baseball’s domestic-abuse policy. A judge in Hawaii approved the dismissal of charges related to an Oct. 31 incident with his wife in Maui. Still, Reyes soon is expected to be handed a lengthy suspension without pay. If and when Reyes does return to the Rockies, Story should remain the shortstop.

  • Carlos Gonzalez is homerless in 90 at-bats since going deep against the Chicago Cubs' Travis Wood on April 16. Teams have been regularly utilizing dramatic shifts against Gonzalez. He has been able to keep his average high (.304), but plenty of his hits these days have been soft and to the opposite field.

  • Opening Day starter Jorge De La Rosa remains on the disabled list with a groin injury, which he suffered running out a grounder April 26. De La Rosa, who had an unsightly 10.18 ERA at the time of his injury, is scheduled for one more rehab start before getting activated. Butler, who features two-seamers and cutters, assumed De La Rosa’s rotation spot.

  • Nick Hundley landed on the DL on May 6 with a strained left oblique. Tony Wolters primarily is starting at catcher in Hundley’s absence, with Dustin Garneau also seeing action.

  • Gray is 0-3 with 10 no-decisions in 13 career major league starts. He allowed only one hit and two walks in seven scoreless innings but came away with a no-decision on Saturday in the Rockies’ eventual 2-1 loss at San Francisco. The 24-year-old Gray is still learning how to pitch at Coors Field. He has an 11.42 home ERA and 1.38 road ERA this season.

  • Chatwood has a 7.88 home ERA and 0.33 road ERA this season. A bulldog, he might be the best pitcher on the staff. Chatwood twice has undergone Tommy John surgery. The first procedure occurred in high school. The second surgery forced him to miss all of last season, except for two September minor league starts.

  • The Rockies snapped a seven-game home losing streak Wednesday. They are 5-10 at home and 11-8 on the road.

  • Closer Jake McGee is 9-for-11 in save chances and has a 4.97 ERA. He was acquired Jan. 28 in a deal that sent Corey Dickerson to the Tampa Bay Rays.

METS SHORT HOPS

  • Verrett will make a spot start Saturday in place of Steven Matz, who will be skipped this turn with left forearm soreness. Matz is not due to be examined until after the weekend, when the Mets return home. Filling in for Harvey last Aug. 23 at Coors Field, Verrett limited the Rockies to one run on four hits and a walk in eight innings in a 5-1 win. Verrett contributed 12 scoreless innings over two starts while filling in for Jacob deGrom earlier this season.

  • Infielder Wilmer Flores landed on the disabled list Thursday with a mild left hamstring strain. Left-hander Sean Gilmartin was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas to work out of the bullpen. The Mets will face the Rockies with four bench players and no bona fide backup shortstop behind Asdrubal Cabrera. Eric Campbell would complete the game at the position if Cabrera were forced to depart.

  • Harvey finally looked like his old self in his last start. Harvey limited the San Diego Padres to two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings on Sunday. He struck out a season-high 10 batters while averaging 95 mph and topping out at 97 mph with his fastball.

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