New York Mets reel in win over struggling Colorado Rockies

NEW YORK -- Seth Lugo tossed 6 2/3 solid innings Saturday night and helped his own cause by homering in the third inning as the New York Mets cruised to a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field.

The Mets (41-47) have won the first two games of the three-game series by a combined score of 23-5 to move within 8 1/2 games of the reeling Rockies (52-41) in the wild-card standings in the National League.

Lugo (4-2) allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Jay Bruce gave the Mets all the offense they needed with a three-run homer in the first inning against Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood (6-11), who got just one out before departing with an unspecified injury.

Travis d'Arnaud had an RBI single later in the first and T.J. Rivera (RBI single) and Lucas Duda (two-run double) each had run-scoring hits in the second.

Jose Reyes homered leading off the eighth and finished with two hits and a stolen base.

Gerardo Parra (sacrifice fly), Raimel Tapia (RBI double) and Charlie Blackmon (run-scoring triple) had an RBI apiece for the Rockies, who have lost 15 of 20. D.J. LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado had two hits each.

Chatwood allowed four runs, one hit and three walks while striking out none.

He opened the game by walking Michael Conforto and Asdrubal Cabrera on just nine pitches and was pulled for Chris Rusin after issuing a four-pitch walk to Rivera after Bruce's homer. It was just the seventh time in Rockies history a starter has recorded one out or fewer and the first time since Kip Wells lasted just one-third of an inning on July 21, 2008.

The Mets followed up their four-run first inning by scoring three times in the second and once in the third off Rusin.

All three runs were unearned in the second when DJ LeMahieu's throwing error on Bruce's two-out grounder extended the inning. Rivera followed with an RBI single before Duda laced a two-run double.

Lugo hit his first professional homer with one out in the third.

NOTES: Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes left with a leg injury after sliding awkwardly in pursuit of a foul ball in the sixth inning. ... Mets 3B T.J. Rivera extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Rockies IF/OF Ian Desmond (right calf strain) worked out during batting practice and could be activated from the 10-day disabled list for Sunday's series finale. ... Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 10 games.