That might have been the most enjoyable random inning I've ever seen.
After Drew Pomeranz had left a 2-2 game after four innings with forearm tightness, Esmil Rogers allowed 4 runs with two outs in the top of the 5th inning to make it a 6-2 deficit. And then the bottom of the 5th happened.
Pinch hitter Eric Young Jr started the frame off innocuously enough with a comebacker to Steve Schwinden -- except Schwinden's throw was a little off and EY2's head first slide avoided the tag. He was the first of 7 straight Rockies to reach base. Every time EY gets on base it seems like this has happened this year -- he steals a base and forces the other team to make an error. After a Marco Scutaro walk, Jonathan Herrera drove in Young with a single, then Carlos Gonzalez tied it up with a 3 run shot (3). That was it for Schwinden, but reliever Manny Acosta didn't fare much better.
He allowed two hits, a walk, and a RBI groundout that gave Rockies fans tacos. Up came Dexter Fowler, who seconds after I predicted a bomb dutifully complied, making it a 10-6 game. Young (who went 0-1 with 2 runs in the inning) walked, Scutaro singled, Herrera was hit, and Gonzalez got his 4th and 5th RBIs of the inning with a single -- while Herrera scored on a poor throw and catch by the Mets' 1st baseman and catcher. Mercifully for the Mets, that was it for the 5th.
In all, Colorado scored 11 runs on just 7 hits in the bottom of the 5th. The Mets committed 3 errors in the frame (of the 6 they had in the game), walked 3, and hit a batter. And the scoring wasn't done, as Ramon Hernandez added a 7th inning grand slam (4), the 7th of his career.
The Rockies pounded out 19 hits in the game, including 4 HRs that directly accounted for 11 of the runs. Scutaro was 4-5 with 4 runs, Gonzalez was 3-6 with 3 RBI, Hernandez had 5 RBI, Troy Tulowitzki had 2 hits and a solo homer. Fowler went 3-5 with 3 RBI on his T-shirt day and Todd Helton also added 3 hits. There was a lot of offense to go around tonight -- every starter had a hit, Pomeranz included.
Matt Reynolds was awarded the win (3-0), though he came on with the Rockies already up 13-9. It wasn't much of a pitching night.
Oh, and Jerry Hairston Jr. Scott Hairston hit for the cycle for the Mets. It was a pretty strange night.
We Salute: Gonzalez (.306 WPA), Scutaro (.133), Fowler (.106)
We Are Disappointed In: Rogers (-.355 WPA)
Panda Rating: Happy Panda -- Rockies are 4-0 with me writing these