Colorado Is No Longer Rocky In New York

For years, the Mets used to be safe at home against Colorado.  Not anymore.

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies played their inaugural game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.  Dwight Gooden, who was coming off his first losing season (10-13 in 1992), made the start against the Rockies and pitched a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits and one walk in the 3-0 victory.  Gooden's brilliant performance was topped in the next game by Bret Saberhagen, who pitched eight strong innings, allowing only two hits and a walk in the Mets' 6-1 victory.

The Mets only won 57 more games after the two-game season-opening sweep of the Rockies, but it began a 16-year domination of Colorado in New York.  From April 5, 1993 up to and including the first game of a doubleheader on July 30, 2009, the Mets were 49-20 playing the Rockies in New York for an amazing .710 winning percentage.

Those 69 home games were divided into 23 series, with the Mets winning 15 of those series, losing four and splitting three.  After losing two out of three to the Rockies at Shea Stadium in May 2002, the Mets did not lose another series to Colorado at home until 2010.  Over that eight-year period, they were an amazing 21-2 against the Rockies at Shea Stadium and Citi Field before losing the final game of a four-game series (the second game of the aforementioned July 30, 2009 doubleheader at Citi Field).  Although that loss might not have meant much to either team, as the Mets went on to post a 70-92 record in 2009, while the Rockies advanced to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, it was important in one respect.  It ended the Mets' domination of Colorado in New York.

Beginning with the Mets' loss to Colorado on July 30, 2009, the Rockies have played 11 games at Citi Field, winning all but two of them.  Entering today's series finale against the Mets, Colorado has won seven straight games against the Mets at Citi Field.  To put that in perspective, prior to the July 30, 2009 nightcap, the Rockies had defeated the Mets in New York seven times in TEN YEARS, going 7-30 at Shea Stadium and Citi Field in 37 games since late 1999.

The 1993 Mets finished with the franchise's worst record since 1965, but even they were able to defeat the Rockies at home.  The current version of the Mets should watch some old VHS tapes from that era to try to figure out just why they've been so rocky against Colorado at Citi Field over the past three seasons.