Quintana vs – A rain-postponed Mets-Rockies doubleheader resumes Sunday, with Jose Quintana facing Nolan McLean in a bounce-back test for both teams.
The rain that stalled the first meeting in New York is gone, and the Rockies and Mets are set to resume where they left off with a Sunday doubleheader.
On Friday night. Colorado managed a 4-3 win at a can’t-look-away pace. surviving late pressure and turning a tight game into a much-needed release valve.. For a team that has often been competitive but short on finishing, that kind of one-run outcome matters.. The relief wasn’t just about the score—it was about momentum. especially after Colorado dropped a tight. series-deciding game in San Diego on Thursday.
That win also interrupts a Mets storyline that had been gathering steam.. New York entered the series after winning two straight against the Minnesota Twins. a run that followed their own attention-grabbing stretch after a long losing streak.. With the doubleheader now back on the slate. the Mets have to recover quickly—because the margin for error in baseball shrinks fast when days turn into two games.
Pivotal context sits beneath the surface: for the Rockies. this season has not produced many clean series wins. and road wins have been even rarer.. Friday marked only their fourth road win of the year, a number that doesn’t just reflect luck.. It points to how hard it is for Colorado to flip the script away from home. where bullpen management and late-game execution tend to swing outcomes.
The matchup scheduled for game one places those themes directly on a pitching-and-run-support hinge.. After rotation shuffling tied to the rainout, Colorado is sticking with Jose Quintana, who has struggled through three starts.. His 0-2 record doesn’t capture the full story. but the 6.23 ERA does: the same pattern showing up across outings has been early vulnerability.. Walks have been a visible issue—nine walks to four strikeouts—an imbalance that often forces pitchers into damage-control sequences.
In his most recent outing. Quintana took a heavy blow. allowing six runs on eight hits in a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. including two home runs. before being removed after five innings.. Earlier. he was pulled into a similar rhythm against Houston. lasting 3.2 innings while giving up three runs on three hits and four walks.. Those are the kinds of starts that turn a team’s offensive workload from “support” into “rescue mission.”
Opposite him. the Mets will send Nolan McLean. a pitcher whose season profile has looked steadier even if he hasn’t produced a win in his latest stretch.. With a 2.67 ERA across five starts, McLean has been more about limiting damage than creating highlight numbers.. He’s averaging just over six innings per start. holding opponents to a low-hit baseline. and keeping earned runs in check—nine earned runs total over his five outings.
McLean’s results have also included moments of bite, with strikeouts of eight or more in four of his starts.. The latest start wasn’t his best, though.. In a 5-3 loss to the Twins, he allowed five hits and three runs, including one homer, in five innings.. The difference now is the target: Colorado needs run support that can protect a starter who’s been working through volatility. while the Mets need to keep their own game plan from slipping into a higher-leverage grind.
Why the Quintana vs McLean duel matters
What to watch in game one
For the Mets. the focus is on whether they can convert McLean’s steadiness into real leverage—especially against a Rockies club that has shown flashes of tightening up when the game stays close.. In a doubleheader, that kind of efficiency is even more valuable.. One clean inning can determine whether the day feels manageable or punishing.
After a rain-disrupted start. both teams are essentially playing with a built-in urgency: Colorado wants to keep proving it can steal momentum from tighter series. while New York wants to reassert itself after a brief lift.. With Quintana and McLean setting the tone for game one. the doubleheader’s first impression will likely come down to control—who can keep the game from running away early. and who can turn that stability into late-game certainty.
First Pitch: 11:40 a.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)