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Pelfrey, Beltran help Mets edge Rockies

Jun 22, 2008 - 11:31 PM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- When Carlos Beltran touches first base, the New York Mets almost always win.

Beltran, who has reached base safely in 35 of his team's 37 victories, blasted a two-run homer and Mike Pelfrey held the Colorado Rockies scoreless into the sixth inning to lead the Mets to a 3-1 decision on Sunday.

The Mets, who won five of their past seven games, improved to 3-2 under interim manager Jerry Manuel. Pelfrey (4-6) left the game with two out and two on in the sixth, allowing just three hits. The 24-year-old righthander struck out five and walked five en route to his second straight win.

Beltran insists there is nothing different under Manuel except the results.

"Same team," Beltran said of the Mets' surge. "We are just playing better and winning games."

The Mets staked Pelfrey to an early lead when Jose Reyes, who leads the majors in triples, led off the first inning with a triple to the wall in right field. David Wright hit a scorching grounder to short and Troy Tulowitzki couldn't make the play at first, plating Reyes for a 1-0 lead.

Rockies' rookie starter Greg Reynolds (2-5) issued a two-out walk to Wright in the third and Beltran hit a first-pitch home run to right to extend New York's lead to 3-0.

"That was a fastball inside, and as soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone," Beltran said. "I was happy because that was two more runs right there."

That would prove to be enough.

Pelfrey left after issuing a pair of two-out walks, and Joe Smith got the final out of the sixth before allowing a solo home run to Yorvit Torrealba in the seventh that cut the lead to 3-1. However, Duaner Sanchez threw a perfect eighth and closer Billy Wagner closed it out for his 17th save in 22 chances.

Beltran put an exclamation point on the win by making a great diving catch of a line drive by Willy Taveras for the final out.

Thanks in large part to Beltran, Pelfrey has something to build on.

"I feel like I'm making progress and heading in the right direction," said Pelfrey, who snapped a six-start winless streak on Tuesday. "It's a process, but I feel like I'm starting to get there. The bullpen came in a did a good job, and the defense made some plays out there too."

The New York bullpen allowed just two runs during a 3-3 road trip.

"Anytime they don't score and we win, I guess it's a good thing." Wagner said. "Missing wood - that's what we've been practicing on in the bullpen."

Colorado (31-44) put runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings but could not cash in on the opportunities. In the first inning, Jeff Baker hesitated on a wild pitch and was thrown out easily at home.

Brad Hawpe drew four walks and Tulowitzki added a double for the Rockies, who went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Tulowitzki returned from the disabled list on Friday after missing time with a tear in his left quadriceps.

"We had three innings where we left two men on base," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Pelfrey was very difficult to hit today. He had a lot of late, violent action that we didn't see last time we faced him and we didn't see on tape - 93 to 96 (miles per hour), with late life down. They pitched us a little bit better than we did."

The 22-year-old Reynolds allowed just six hits in seven innings with two strikeouts and one walk.