NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff Manship landed in New York at about 5:30 Thursday morning, tasked with helping the Colorado Rockies salvage something, anything, out of a dreadful road trip.
Taking the mound less than 7 hours later, Manship limited the Mets to an RBI grounder and a sacrifice fly in five innings. Too bad the Rockies couldn’t jet in some offense, too.
Dillon Gee pitched impressively into the eighth inning, keeping in check a youthful lineup missing injured All-Star Carlos Gonzalez, and the Mets handed Colorado its ninth loss in 10 games on the road, 2-1.
“I know it hasn’t been pretty on the road this trip,” said manager Walt Weiss of his club that was outscored 61-23 on the trip. “The bottom line is you’ve got to make adjustments constantly in this game. Figure out how people are getting you out and make the necessary adjustments. It’s a constant battle.”
The only other time the Rockies went 1-9 on a road trip was from June 22 to July 1, 2007. That season they went to the World Series with an inspired run. This year they are just fading fast: Colorado was 1½ games out of first place in the NL West on July 2 but is 11-21 since and are 12½ games back of the Dodgers. Los Angeles was scheduled to play later Thursday.
Manship (0-1) was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs for the start because right-hander Tyler Chatwood had inflammation in his right elbow a day after a bullpen session Tuesday. Chatwood was throwing to test a tight hamstring that forced Colorado to push back his start two days to Thursday.
Now he’s on the DL, and Manship might have earned another start.
“We haven’t made any decisions on that yet,” Weiss said. “He certainly helped himself in the equation.”
Making his first major league start since May 1, 2010, for Minnesota, Manship appeared to tire in the fourth, when the Mets went ahead 2-1.
Daniel Murphy and Marlon Byrd singled to start it off and Ike Davis walked to load the bases with none out.
That brought up rookie Wilmer Flores, who had a three-run double in the eighth inning Wednesday night.
This time, with a 1-2 count, Flores flung his bat at a low and outside pitch, sending a slow roller to shortstop. Jonathan Herrera charged and made a quick throw across his body to just nab Flores at first, but a run scored to tie it at 1.
Anthony Recker followed with a fly to medium center field. Byrd scored easily when Dickerson’s throw was way up the third base line.
A batter after Omar Quintanilla was intentionally walked, Gee hit a two-out single, but Davis froze off third and was tagged near home plate for the third out.
Colorado came out aggressive with a young lineup Thursday, but fizzled quickly.
Gee gave up consecutive singles to start the game. Colorado let him off the hook, though, when D.J. LeMahieu was tagged out trying to advance on Dickerson’s flyball to right fielder Byrd. With a runner on third base, Michael Cuddyer grounded out to second.
“It’s just been a frustrating trip for us,” LeMahieu said. “All of us are just not hitting at the same time and we’re making their pitchers look pretty good right now.”
Gee (8-8) scattered eight hits without yielding a walk in 7 2-3 innings to win for the first time since July 14. He allowed Corey Dickerson’s homer leading off the fourth inning. Cuddyer followed with a single but was caught stealing.
The rest was easy for Gee.
He was pulled to a nice ovation in the eighth after yielding a single to LeMahieu. Scott Rice relieved and walked pinch-hitter Troy Tulowitzki. David Aardsma then got Cuddyer to fly out to left field.
Filling in for injured closer Bobby Parnell, LaTroy Hawkins was perfect in the ninth for his second save.
NOTES: To make room on the 40-man roster for Manship, the Rockies recalled lefty Christian Friedrich from Colorado Springs and placed him on the 60-day disabled list with lower back inflammation. … LeMahieu had three hits.
