Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as the visiting Colorado Rockies completed a doubleheader sweep of the sinking New York Mets with a 3-0 win in Sunday’s nightcap.
Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener. The doubleheader was necessitated by a rainout Saturday.
Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.
The Rockies didn’t record their 13th win last season until June 12, when they improved to 13-55 on their way to a 43-119 finish.
The Mets have lost 15 of 17 – their worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004.
New York scored one run or fewer in a traditional doubleheader Sunday for the first time since Oct, 3, 2015, when the Mets scored one run while being swept by the Washington Nationals.
Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.
The scoreless start was the first of Dollander’s career, though he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings as a bulk reliever and earned the win in a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Apr. 16.
Dollander wriggled out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first when he got MJ Melendez to fly out. Carson Benge and Ronny Mauricio singled to open the fifth, but Tyrone Taylor lined into a double play before Dollander retired Bo Bichette on a grounder.
Seth Halvorsen threw a hitless eighth before Zach Agnos worked around Melendez’s one-out double in the ninth to notch his second save.
The struggling Kodai Senga (0-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Senga has given up 17 runs (16 earned) over 8 1/3 innings in his last three starts.
