Colorado Rockies Rally To Down New York Mets With Walk Off Homer In Ninth

The Colorado Rockies (19-13) rallied back from six runs down to beat the New York Mets (15-14) 11-10 on a walk-off homerun from pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson at Coors Field on Saturday night. The Rockies have now won six of their last seven games and five consecutive series.

W: Hawkins (1-0) L: Farnsworth (0-2)

The Rockies high powered bats were silenced for the first four innings by Mets starter Jenrry Mejia. Mejia gave up just three hits to the Rockies and appeared in control as the Mets hitters backed up his effort with six runs on nine hits against Rockies starter Franklin Morales.

Mejia's terrific night came to a sudden halt in the fifth inning as the Rockies would send 11 batters to the plate while pounding out six hits, two of which were home runs.

Ryan Wheeler led off the fifth with his first home run of the year in his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs Friday in place of Josh Rutledge, who went on the 15-day disabled list with a viral infection. Jordan Pacheco followed with a single and D.J. LeMahieu walked to load the bases. Mejia was able to induce a ground ball from Brandon Barnes that forced out LeMahieu at second.

Charlie Blackmon ended the shutout with a single to center that scored Pacheco. RBI singles from Drew Stubbs and Carlos Gonzalez cut the Mets lead down to 6-4. After Mejia hit Troy Tulowitzki to load the bases for the second time in the inning, Nolan Arenado extended his major league best hitting streak to 23 games with a grand slam (5) to left field. The six run Mets lead was gone as the Rockies pulled ahead 8-6.

Mejia was taken out of the game following the Arenado grand slam and replaced with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka ended the inning without any further damage by striking out Wheeler and getting a flyball out from Pacheco. Mejia worked 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits, striking out three and walking two.

The Mets didn't stay down for long as they came right back in the sixth off of Chris Martin. Martin gave up a two-run double to Chris Young that scored Daniel Murphy and pulled the Mets to within a run. The Rockies took Morales out of the game and brought in Rex Brothers to face Curtis Granderson. Granderson hit a RBI single to center that scored Young to tie the game at eight.

Morales ended his rough night pitching five innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on a career high nine hits, striking out five and walking one. Manager Walt Weiss praised Morales for hanging tough through the five innings even though he didn't have his best stuff during the game. The Rockies were down an arm in the bullpen after optioning reliever Chad Bettis back to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

“I couldn’t go to the bullpen any earlier than I did,” Weiss said. “We just didn’t have enough bodies to get through the game. And it kill us the next couple days. It was a tough start for him. But sometimes the game is won by a starter by not giving up that extra one or two. He gave up six. But that, inevitably, may win the game for us if he battles through a difficult start when he doesn’t have his “A” stuff."

The Rockies would take the lead back in the seventh inning against Matsuzaka. With two outs in the inning Matsuzaka gave up a Pacheco sacrifice fly to center that scored Tulowitzki and gave the Rockies a 9-8 lead. In the inning, Tulowitzki got his 1,000th hit of his eight year career to center.

"I think the No. 1 thing on my 1,000th hit is I'll remember this game and how we won it," Tulowitzki said. "That makes it that much more special."

Adam Ottavino replaced Brothers in the eighth and the Mets would tie the game on a Chris Young RBI single to left that scored Murphy. The Mets took a 10-9 lead in the ninth off of LaTroy Hawkins when Juan Lagares singled to right, scoring Eric Young, Jr.

The Mets sent their third closer of the year, Kyle Farnsworth to the mound to face the heart of the Rockies order. Tulowitzki led off with a single to center. Tulowitzki then tagged up and took second on a fly ball to center from Arenado. Culberson, pinch-hitting for Hawkins, came into the game batting .111 (3-for-27) hammered Farnsworth's 98 mph fastball over the center field fence for a walk-off home run.

"Fastball away. It hit the middle, I guess," Farnsworth said. "He got a good swing on it. It's always difficult. We just have to keep on battling. Guys played well, and we came out on the wrong end of it.

Culberson was met at home plate by the thunderous applause of 38,688 in attendance at Coors Field and ecstatic teammates slapping him on the back and lifting him up in the air.

"I don't hit many home runs, but for some reason right there, I hit it and I just knew it had to go out," Culberson said. "More to the point, like it had better go out.

"Hitting a walk-off, I really can't describe it. That's definitely the best feeling I've ever had in baseball, so far."

Despite giving up the tying run in the top of the ninth, Hawkins (1-0, 3.00) received the win while Farnsworth (0-2, 3.55) suffered the loss.

Post Game Brief:

The Coors Field flu bug has claimed another member of the Rockies on Saturday. A day after placing infielder Josh Rutledge on the 15-day disabled list for a viral infection, catcher Wilin Rosario fell ill. The Rockies did not place Rosario on the disabled list so they sent reliever Chad Bettis to Triple-A and brought up catcher Mike McKenry.

Mets third baseman David Wright improved his Coors Field average to .391, his best at any stadium in baseball.

Rockies starter Franklin Morales was presented with his World Series ring that he earned with the Boston Red Sox last year in the Rockies club house shortly before the Saturday night game against the Mets.

Coming Up:

The Rockies go for a four game sweep of the Mets on Sunday, May 4, at 2:10 PM MDT. Probable pitching matchup will be RHP Dillon Gee (2-1, 2.88) - RHP Jhoulys Chacin (0-0, 0.00). Chacin is coming off the disabled list and making his first start of the year.