DENVER -- The Rockies' offensive numbers accumulate by the game, but left-hander Jorge De La Rosa offered another gentle reminder that starting pitching is the backbone of the team's unexpected early success.De La Rosa held the Mets to three runs in six solid innings as the Rockies won, 10-3, at Coors Field on Friday night in front of 42,040.Charlie Blackmon had three hits, including his sixth homer of the season, Troy Tulowitzki had three hits and drove in three runs, and Nolan Arenado ran his hit streak to 22 games -- tied for fourth-longest in club history. But as long as the pitching holds, it will be hard to eclipse in importance. 
De La Rosa gave up eight hits and three walks but struck out four and made pitches when he needed them, while adding to a nice roll by the rotation.Since April 15, Rockies starters are 10-2 with a 3.08 ERA, and the team is 12-5 during that stretch. Although the Rockies lead the league in several hitting categories, the pitching has much to do with the 18-13 overall record, which has them second in the National League West and a game behind the first-place Giants.The staff has been without left-hander Brett Anderson (broken left index finger) since April 12, and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (strained right shoulder) won't make his season debut until Sunday in the finale of the four-game set with the Mets. The Rockies have won the first two.The Mets managed a first-inning run on three hits. In the third, David Wright and Chris Young singled with two out, but De La Rosa (3-3) struck out Curtis Granderson.The Mets didn't cause trouble until Granderson homered for two runs with no outs in the sixth. De La Rosa walked Josh Satin and gave up a Travis d'Arnaud single before turning untouchable again, inducing a Ruben Tejada double-play grounder and catching Bobby Abreu looking at a 94 mph fastball with the count 2-2.De La Rosa threw just 4 1/3 innings in his first three starts and was 0-2 with a 9.69 ERA. In four starts since, he is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA and has put to bed the questions that arose during the early slump.Of course, pitching and offense work together, and the Rockies made De La Rosa's job easier by scoring six runs in the first two innings and seven (six earned) in four innings against Mets starter Zack Wheeler (1-3). The innings were the fewest and runs were the most allowed in Wheeler's Major League career.Arenado singled in the seventh off Mets reliever Carlos Torres, after Blackmon had homered, to keep his streak alive. The longest hit streak in Rockies history is Michael Cuddyer's 27-gamer last year, May 28-June 30; followed by Dante Bichette's 23 games, May 22-June 16, 1995; and the 22 game streaks of Arenado this season and Vinny Castilla, Aug. 9-Sept. 1, 1997.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
De La Rosa gave up eight hits and three walks but struck out four and made pitches when he needed them, while adding to a nice roll by the rotation.Since April 15, Rockies starters are 10-2 with a 3.08 ERA, and the team is 12-5 during that stretch. Although the Rockies lead the league in several hitting categories, the pitching has much to do with the 18-13 overall record, which has them second in the National League West and a game behind the first-place Giants.The staff has been without left-hander Brett Anderson (broken left index finger) since April 12, and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (strained right shoulder) won't make his season debut until Sunday in the finale of the four-game set with the Mets. The Rockies have won the first two.The Mets managed a first-inning run on three hits. In the third, David Wright and Chris Young singled with two out, but De La Rosa (3-3) struck out Curtis Granderson.The Mets didn't cause trouble until Granderson homered for two runs with no outs in the sixth. De La Rosa walked Josh Satin and gave up a Travis d'Arnaud single before turning untouchable again, inducing a Ruben Tejada double-play grounder and catching Bobby Abreu looking at a 94 mph fastball with the count 2-2.De La Rosa threw just 4 1/3 innings in his first three starts and was 0-2 with a 9.69 ERA. In four starts since, he is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA and has put to bed the questions that arose during the early slump.Of course, pitching and offense work together, and the Rockies made De La Rosa's job easier by scoring six runs in the first two innings and seven (six earned) in four innings against Mets starter Zack Wheeler (1-3). The innings were the fewest and runs were the most allowed in Wheeler's Major League career.Arenado singled in the seventh off Mets reliever Carlos Torres, after Blackmon had homered, to keep his streak alive. The longest hit streak in Rockies history is Michael Cuddyer's 27-gamer last year, May 28-June 30; followed by Dante Bichette's 23 games, May 22-June 16, 1995; and the 22 game streaks of Arenado this season and Vinny Castilla, Aug. 9-Sept. 1, 1997.Thomas Harding / MLB.com
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