Bichette Gives Mets a Cold Reception

DENVER — Despite having two nights off, Dante Bichette came to the ballpark, sounding like an advertisement for a cold commercial. By the time Sunday’s game was over, New York Met players were feeling rundown.

Bichette’s bases-clearing double highlighted a four-run fifth inning as the Colorado Rockies defeated New York, 6-4, to complete a three-game sweep of the Mets.

“Headache, run-down, sniffles,” Bichette said, checking off his symptoms. “I think I’m gonna to be pregnant because those are the same symptoms my wife’s having right now, except she’s throwing up.”

Colorado starter John Thomson (5-7) threw six innings for his second victory over the Mets in 11 days.

“I wasn’t on my best control today,” Thomson said. “You go out there and just keep the team in it and then the bullpen comes in and does a great job. All you can do is smile after that.”

Jerry Dipoto pitched the ninth for his eighth save--and his second in a row against his former teammates. Dipoto was traded to Colorado for Armando Reynoso in the off-season.

“It was fun. It was neat, and it’s more fun that we swept ‘em,” Dipoto said. “We’re playing pretty well right now, and it’s nice to make a contribution.”

The Mets, trying to catch Florida in the wild-card race, stumbled over the weekend. They have lost seven of nine games and finished their brief road trip 2-4.

Trailing, 3-1, in the fifth, the Rockies broke through against Mets starter Dave Mlicki (5-10), who gave up singles to Thomson and Eric Young and a two-out walk to Larry Walker. Bichette hit a bases-clearing double and scored on Ellis Burks’ single.

The Mets cut their deficit to 5-4 in the sixth on Luis Lopez’s RBI double.

Walker’s RBI single in the seventh gave Colorado a two-run lead.

Vinny Castilla hit his 31st home run for Colorado.

“Seemed like we were at the end of a full journey with a little less than a full tank of gas,” New York Manager Bobby Valentine said. “It wasn’t enough.”