Benge and Vientos lead the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the skidding Rockies in early start

New York Mets' Carson Benge gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) — Carson Benge homered leading off the sixth inning for New York’s first hit against Tomoyuki Sugano, and the Mets beat the skidding Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Monday in a game moved up three hours to avoid potential wet weather.

Mark Vientos added a two-run single for the Mets, who are 3-1 on a nine-game trip after losing 17 of 20 overall. Benge also saved a run with a diving catch in center field.

Colorado has dropped five straight, and six of seven since allowing only four runs in a three-game sweep of the Mets at Citi Field from April 24-26.

New York got four hits in a four-run sixth after Sugano (3-2) was untouchable through five innings. He threw just 48 pitches and had faced the minimum entering the sixth before things unraveled for him.

Benge homered to right-center and Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens followed with consecutive doubles to make it 2-0. Sugano walked Juan Soto and was removed following Bo Bichette’s groundout that put runners on second and third.

Vientos drove in two more with a two-out single off Jaden Hill. Vientos hit a pair of two-run homers Sunday in a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Denver native David Peterson (1-4), the third New York pitcher, went four innings for the win. He gave up two runs and three hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Craig Kimbrel worked a scoreless eighth and Devin Williams pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Mickey Moniak had two hits for Colorado to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.

The Rockies scored twice in the seventh on an RBI triple by Jordan Beck and a run-scoring single by Kyle Karros. They threatened again in the eighth after Moniak's one-out triple, but he was stranded.

The decision to move up the game three hours was made Sunday, with snow, rain and cold temperatures forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Up next

Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) and Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09) are slated to start Tuesday night.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

New York Mets' Mark Vientos follows the flight of his single to drive in two runs off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jaden Hill in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
From left to right, New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto, center fielder Carson Benge and right fielder Tyrone Taylor celebrate after their team defeated the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, left, takes the ball from starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (110 who is pulled from the mound after getting New York Mets' Bo Bichette to ground out in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
New York Mets relief pitcher David Peterson works against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)