Colorado @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 29, 2012 ) NY Mets 6, Colorado 5

After back-to-back series against division-leading Cincinnati and Washington, the Mets step down in competition with a four-game series against Colorado at Citi Field. While the Rockies are having a season to forget, they showed signs of life during a 5-2 homestand. However, they could be missing several key players as they start a seven-day, seven-game trip in New York. The Mets are batting .194 (21-for-108) with runners in scoring position over their last 16 contests, and they’ve fallen 18 games out of first in the National League East after winning just one of 11 series since the All-Star break.

New York may not have to deal with Rockies’ outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, who remains on the bereavement list. It’s unclear whether Gonzalez will return during the series. Colorado outfielder Eric Young Jr. (strained rib cage) and Josh Rutledge (tight left quadriceps) both left Sunday’s game against Miami early with injuries, and Rutledge could need a stint on the disabled list. Young is listed as day-to-day, and he's batting .370 (10-for-27) with five RBIs over his last eight games. The Mets launched their six-man rotation on Sunday, but the change won’t affect Monday’s starter, R.A. Dickey, who will continue to pitch every fifth day.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Alex White (2-6, 5.74 ERA) vs. Mets RH R.A. Dickey (15-4, 2.89)

White has not thrown more than 84 pitches in each of his last seven outings, going 0-2 with a 5.85 ERA over that stretch. He gave up two runs over four innings Thursday against Miami. Acquired last July from the Indians as part of the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, White has a 45-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 69 innings.

Dickey has lost three of his last five starts, including Wednesday when he allowed five earned runs over six innings in Cincinnati. Dickey, who gave up more than two earned runs for the first time since July 24, has notched at least seven strikeouts in five straight starts and has 175 this season over 168 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies OF/1B Michael Cuddyer is on the disabled list after re-injuring his right oblique Saturday, and manager Jim Tracy said there is a possibility he could miss the rest of the season.

2. The Mets have not committed an error in nine straight games, the team’s second-longest stretch of the season.

3. Colorado rookie INF Jordan Pacheco is batting .312 overall and .333 with two outs and runners in scoring position.