Jose Quintana controlled the strike zone for five-plus innings, and the Colorado Rockies manufactured just enough offense to defeat the New York Mets 3-1 at Citi Field on Saturday.
Quintana allowed two hits and struck out five over 5.1 innings to earn his first win of the season. The veteran left-hander walked two but kept the Mets off balance, carrying a 4.91 ERA into his fourth start. Victor Vodnik closed out the ninth with two strikeouts for his fourth save.
The Rockies broke through in the fourth when Troy Johnston singled to right, scoring Edouard Julien. New York answered in the fifth as Tyrone Taylor homered to left center, a 381-foot blast that tied the game 1-1. Colorado regained the lead in the sixth when Johnston grounded into a double play but Julien scored from third. Jake McCarthy added an insurance run in the seventh with a single to right that brought home Brett Sullivan.
Nolan McLean matched Quintana's effort but took the loss despite allowing just one earned run over five innings. The Mets starter struck out seven and scattered five hits, carrying a 2.55 ERA. New York managed only four hits against Colorado pitching.
The victory snapped a losing streak for Colorado, improving to 11-16. The Mets fell to 9-17 with their second straight loss.