DENVER — Taijuan Walker had been fabulous for six innings Sunday, but could the Mets get an additional three outs from him to help a taxed bullpen?
With a boost from his defense, Walker got those outs. Adam Ottavino, Joely Rodriguez and Edwin Diaz handled the rest, in a 2-0 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field.
For a second time in three starts, Walker fired a seven-inning shutout. In this one he allowed five hits with two walks and six strikeouts, allowing the Mets (28-15) to leave town with a series victory. In 13 series this season, the Mets are 11-1-1.
Buck Showalter was rewarded for his faith in allowing Walker to pitch the seventh when Luis Guillorme’s diving stop on Brian Serven’s grounder to third became the final out. This after Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil turned a double play on Jose Iglesias’ grounder.
“You know that if the ball is put in play, we have guys that are going to go out there and dive for the ball and try to make every play,” Walker said. “When I get runners on I try to tell myself, ‘Ground ball, get a double play,’ and that’s what we did today.”
This ballpark, one mile above sea level, might be hell for most pitchers, but for Walker it has been nirvana: in five career starts at Coors he is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
“I think it’s maybe because of my splitter: keeping it down it kind of cuts, goes down and in, just does a little bit of everything,” Walker said.
The Mets had a last Rockies threat to survive in the eighth, but Rodriguez needed only one pitch to retire Ryan McMahon with the tying runs on base. In the ninth, Diaz struck out two and allowed a single before recording his 10th save.
Lindor’s RBI single in the sixth produced the game’s first run. Brandon Nimmo led off the inning with a sharp single to right that Randal Grichuk booted, allowing Nimmo to reach third. With the infield drawn in, Lindor pounded a single through the third-base hole. McNeil followed with a bloop double to left and Pete Alonso’s RBI groundout extended the lead to 2-0.
Not overlooked was Nimmo’s hustle running the bases on Grichuk’s misplay.
“We won the game right there — Nimmo, the way he is running the bases, swinging it and he’s playing hard,” Lindor said. “That is very contagious when guys do that, so it was a great team win today.”
The Rockies’ threat against Walker in the seventh began when Grichuk and Brendan Rodgers singled in succession leading off the inning before the Mets turned the double play and Guillorme’s diving stop turned into the final out.
Guillorme also had two hits and owns an .857 OPS in his part-time role.
“I’ve been in this situation my whole career coming off the bench,” Guillorme said. “I have gotten a chance and done the best I can with it.”
Other opportunities against Walker were limited. In the fifth, Iglesias and Serven delivered consecutive two-out singles before Walker retired Connor Joe. The Rockies also put two runners on base in the first, but Walker struck out McMahon to end the threat. Walker’s backup of third on C.J. Cron’s single saved Nimmo from a throwing error and a run scoring.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I know it’s the small things that win ballgames,” Walker said. “If I am not there the run scores and then I am mad at myself and everything can just spiral from there.”
The Mets, who had split a doubleheader the previous day, (losing the nightcap), won a 14th straight game following a defeat. Their last consecutive losses came April 10-11 against the Nationals and Phillies.
“It’s a pretty steady mental team,” Showalter said. “They didn’t get into, ‘The sky is falling.’ It’s tough, it’s not just sports but kind of society that we all want to know about something before it happens so we’re saying ‘If this happens, this might happen.’ They don’t live in that world and we hope it continues.”
