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NEW YORK -- Jacob deGrom won his sixth straight start by tossing eight strong innings Friday night, when the New York Mets routed the Colorado Rockies 14-2 at Citi Field. The Mets (40-47) won for just the second time in their last seven games to pull within 9 1/2 games of the struggling Rockies (52-40) for the National League's second wild card. Colorado has lost 14 of 19.
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DeGrom (10-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk while striking out 11. He has produced a 1.53 ERA over his last six starts, a stretch in which he has thrown at least seven innings every time while striking out 47 and walking 10.
It was the seventh double-digit strikeout performance of the season for deGrom, who threw 26 pitches in the first inning but retired 14 straight between the first and fifth. He has thrown at least eight innings in a start five times this season, a figure exceeded only by the Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer (six).
DeGrom also helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the second. He also singled and scored in the seventh.
Seven players had at least two hits for the Mets while three finished with at least three RBIs.
Michael Conforto led the way with four RBIs via a run-scoring groundout and a three-run homer while T.J. Rivera (two-run double, solo homer) and Asdrubal Cabrera (two-run single, bases-loaded walk) each had three RBIs.
Jose Reyes and Travis d'Arnaud each had an RBI while Yoenis Cespedes had four hits, including an infield RBI single.
Geraldo Parra had an RBI single in the first and Charlie Blackmon had two hits and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth for the Rockies.
Jon Gray (2-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out one over two-plus innings. It was the second-shortest start of Gray's career.
DeGrom's error helped the Rockies record a run in the first inning, when D.J. LeMahieu reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on an infield single by Nolan Arenado. DeGrom's throw to first to try to get Arenado skipped past Lucas Duda as LeMahieu went to third. He trotted home on a single by Parra.
DeGrom helped get the run back in the second, when Duda (single) and Reyes (double) led off the inning with hits before a groundout from d'Arnaud brought home Duda with the tying run. DeGrom then followed with an RBI single to score Reyes.
All six batters Gray faced reached base and scored in the third, when Cespedes led off with a double and went to third on Jay Bruce's single. Rivera followed with a two-run double, and scored on a single by Reyes.
Gray was chased after issuing a walk to d'Arnaud. Duda scored on a groundout to second by Conforto before Cabrera capped the scoring with a two-run single.
Rivera homered leading off the fourth to extend the lead to 9-1.
NOTES: Mets LHP Josh Smoker (left shoulder strain) made his third rehab appearance Friday, when he allowed one run in one inning for Single-A St. Lucie. ... Mets RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right shoulder) began a throwing program on Thursday. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (testicular cancer) began a rehab assignment Thursday, when he allowed an unearned run over two innings for Double-A Hartford. ... Rockies manager Bud Black said RHP German Marquez will start the club's fourth game after the All-Star Break on Monday. Black said he wasn't ready to reveal the Rockies' fifth starter yet.
