Rockies try to end road trip at .500 against Mets
Jeff Hoffman was one of the prized assets the Colorado Rockies acquired from Toronto in the Troy Tulowitzki deal four years ago. He hasn't been able to stay in the rotation in his time in Colorado, but with Kyle Freeland struggling and Tyler Anderson hurt, the 26-year-old Hoffman has a chance to make an impression.
The right-hander has had mixed results in four starts since his call-up last month, and he's coming off of a gritty, tough outing at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. He gets another chance to show he belongs in the rotation when he gets the start at the New York Mets on Sunday.
Hoffman (1-2, 7.29 ERA) knows he can solidify his place in the rotation with good, consistent starts.
"I definitely see this as an opportunity and the one that I've been waiting for," Hoffman told The Denver Post last week. "It's an extended chance to really solidify myself in this rotation and pitch side by side with these guys. I believe I have what it takes to help us get back to the postseason."
The postseason seemed like a remote chance for the Rockies when they started the season 3-12, but they have rebounded to move above .500 after a recent 9-1 homestand. They will be back in Denver on Monday and hope to be coming off of a .500 road trip against the Cubs and the Mets.
After dropping the first two at Wrigley, they won two in a row before Saturday night's 5-3 loss against New York.
Hoffman will be making his fifth appearance and third career start against the Mets. Despite a 7.62 ERA against New York he is 1-0, and that one win came in a six-inning outing at Citi Field, his only appearance in Queens, N.Y.
He will face the Mets' 6-foot-6 right-hander Noah Syndergaard in the finale of the three-game series. Syndergaard (3-4, 4.83) has been racking up the quality starts since the start of May but it hasn't translated into the win column for him. He is 0-1 in his last four starts despite pitching at least into the sixth inning in all of them.
His last start left him frustrated. Manager Mickey Callaway took him out with a 3-2 lead with two outs in the seventh, and the San Francisco Giants rallied to win with a six-spot in the 10th inning.
Callaway regretted pulling Syndergaard after 103 pitches.
"Looking back, of course, hindsight is 20/20; that's one I'd like to have back," Callaway told reporters after the start. "Maybe let him face one more hitter. You can't do that, you have to deal with the moment. But that's one I'd like to have back. Noah probably deserved, with a runner on first, a little more benefit of the doubt there."
Syndergaard might get more of a leash against Colorado, a team he has only faced at home. In three starts against the Rockies at Citi Field he is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA. He is 24-12 with a 2.90 in his career when pitching at home with 350 strikeouts in 319 2/3 innings.
--Field Level Media
