New York @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( May 14, 2016 ) NY Mets 4, Colorado 7

The New York Mets entered the beginning of their 11-game road trip last week looking every bit like the defending National League champions, but they appear to be running out of gas as they near the end of their western trek. The Mets hope to avoid their first sweep of the season and fourth straight loss overall Sunday when they wrap up a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies.

New York went 7-2 on its homestand from April 25-May 4 and had won 10 of 12 to improve to 17-9 after opening the season by going .500 through 14 contests. The Mets' offense has been inconsistent at best while splitting four-game series in San Diego and Los Angeles, however, and hasn't enjoyed the surge that usually comes with a visit to Colorado, which has limited New York to six runs after losing its previous 11 meetings with the World Series runner-up. The Mets' season-long struggles with runners in scoring position has continued - 4-for-18 in this series and a major-league worst .207 for the season - which has become more of an issue for an offense that has only hit one home during its weekend stay at Coors Field despite ranking second in the NL with 52. The Rockies have used their first three-game home winning streak of the season after winning only four of their first 14 at Coors Field.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.12 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Tyler Chatwood (4-3, 3.09)
DeGrom, winless in his first two May starts despite a 3.75 ERA, will attempt to recapture the form that allowed him to go 3-0 with a 1.02 ERA in April. The 27-year-old Stetson product settled for a no-decision in his last outing Tuesday, permitting two runs on eight hits over seven innings at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although he has yet to pitch in Coors Field, deGrom has dominated the Rockies while winning each of his two starts against them, giving up five hits in 15 scoreless frames while striking out 19.
Chatwood continued to be a complete different pitcher at home than on the road (4-0, 0.33 ERA) in Monday's loss to Arizona, falling to 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in Colorado after surrendering six runs in as many innings. The 2008 second-round pick has failed to produce a quality start in any of his three turns in Coors Field, giving up each of the five homers he has allowed this season in those outings. Chatwood draws the Mets for only the fourth time and first since 2013, when he worked six strong innings in a no-decision.

WALK-OFFS
1. The Mets lead the majors with 36 home runs on the road, but 2B Neil Walker's fourth-inning solo shot Saturday was the first by a position player in the last five games.
2. Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez has not homered in 24 games - his longest streak since 2012 - or produced an RBI since April 24, a span of 17 games.
3. New York C Kevin Plawecki has five RBIs over his last five games after failing to plate a run in 15 of his first 16 contests.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Rockies 4