Mike Pelfrey was better tonight, but his effort was undone by terrible bullpen defense, which cost the New York Mets the game, as they lost despite a late rally, 7-6, to the Colorado Rockies. It's the fifth loss in six games for the Mets.
Pelfrey, who threw 5 1/3 innings with six hits and four (three earned) runs left with a 4-2 lead, but Ryota Igarashi -- more so with his defense, than his pitching -- blew the improved effort for Pelfrey. While he walked the first batter, the next batter he faced, Jonathan Herrera, hit a ball to him that he threw wildly for one out to home plate, but the high throw prevented Josh Thole from throwing to first to complete the double play. As a result, Carlos Gonzalez stepped to the plate and singled home two Rockies batters to knot the game at four apiece.
Jason Isringhausen made his 2011 Mets debut, his first time back in a Mets uniform since 1999, and induced a groundout and a flyout in relief of Tim Byrdak. At this point, he might be entrusted with a late-inning role after what proceeded after he left.
Bobby Parnell came in for the eigth inning and allowed a single (then a sacrifice) and threw a wild pitch before he got Gonzalez to groundout back to the mound, with Dexter Fowler running home. Parnell may need some more pitcher's fielding practice (just like Igarashi), as he sailed the ball over Thole's head, not getting an out and allowing Fowler to score. Instead of two outs, there was one with Troy Tulowitzki coming to bat and Gonzalez on base. Tulowitzki promptly made matters worse as he smacked a high Parnell fastball over the leftfield wall to put the Rockies up, 7-4.
Credit the Amazin's for not giving up, though, as the next inning David Wright led off with a homerun, Carlos Beltran doubled and Ike Davis singled him home to cut the deficit to 7-6. In the end the comeback came up short, with Huston Street setting down the Mets in order in the ninth inning.
On the bright side, Jose Reyes went 2-for-5 with two triples and a run, while Wright went 2-for-5 with the aforementioned homerun, two RBI and a run; Davis and Willie Harris also both had two RBI each.
The Mets are now 4-6 in a season that's already beginning to get painful for Mets fans; the pitching keeps finding ways to lose ballgames.