DENVER (Interstat) — Carson Benge homered leading off the sixth inning for New York’s first hit against Tomoyuki Sugano, and the Mets beat the skidding Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Monday in a game moved up three hours to avoid potential wet weather.

Mark Vientos added a two-run single for the Mets, who are 3-1 on a nine-game trip after losing 17 of 20 overall. Benge also saved a run with a diving catch in center field. Colorado has dropped five straight, and six of seven since allowing only four runs in a three-game sweep of the Mets at Citi Field from April 24-26.

The game was played at Coors Field in front of 15,564 fans and lasted 2 hours, 15 minutes.

David Peterson earned the win, improving to 1-4 this season. He worked four innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out six. Tomoyuki Sugano took the loss, falling to 3-2. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, surrendering three hits and four earned runs with one strikeout. Devin Williams picked up his fourth save of the season, tossing a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout.

New York’s four-run sixth inning decided the contest. After Sugano had held the Mets hitless through five innings, Benge led off the frame with a home run to right-center field. Francisco Alvarez followed with a double, and Luis Torrens doubled him home. Juan Soto walked, and after a groundout, Vientos lined a two-run single to center field to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

The Rockies answered in the bottom of the seventh. Willi Castro singled with one out, and Jordan Beck tripled to center field, scoring Castro. Kyle Karros followed with an RBI single to left-center field, cutting the lead to 4-2. But the Rockies could not get closer.

New York’s pitching staff combined for nine strikes, 34 balls and nine balls in play. Colorado’s staff combined for 18 strikes, 34 balls and 18 balls in play.

Benge finished 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI in addition to his defensive heroics. Vientos was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Torrens doubled and drove in a run. Alvarez doubled and scored a run. For the Rockies, Beck tripled and drove in a run, and Karros singled and drove in a run. Castro singled and scored a run.

Juan Mejia pitched two scoreless innings of relief for Colorado, allowing no hits and striking out five. Austin Warren tossed two scoreless innings for New York, giving up one hit and striking out three. Craig Kimbrel worked a scoreless eighth for the Mets, allowing one hit and striking out one. Huascar Brazobán pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless ninth for Colorado. Jaden Hill tossed two-thirds of a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out two.

New York’s record improved to 13-22, while Colorado fell to 14-22.

The Mets struck first in the top of the sixth after Sugano retired the first 15 batters he faced. Benge’s leadoff homer broke up the no-hit bid and sparked the four-run rally. Alvarez doubled on a sharp fly ball to center field that deflected off left fielder Mickey Moniak. Torrens then doubled to right field, scoring Alvarez. After Soto walked, Bo Bichette grounded out to first base, moving Torrens to third and Soto to second. MJ Melendez struck out, but Vientos delivered the two-run single to center field, scoring Torrens and Soto. Brett Baty struck out to end the inning.

Colorado’s scoring came in the seventh off Peterson. After Peterson retired the first two batters of the inning, Castro singled. Beck then tripled to center field on a sharp fly ball that Benge was unable to catch, scoring Castro. Karros followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Beck. Peterson then struck out Ezequiel Tovar to end the inning.

The Rockies had a chance in the eighth when Mickey Moniak tripled with one out off Kimbrel. But Kimbrel struck out Tyler Freeman and retired TJ Rumfield on a fly out to left field to end the threat.

Williams closed the game with a 1-2-3 ninth. He retired Hunter Goodman on a fly out to left, Willi Castro on a fly out to center and Troy Johnston on a called third strike.

The game was originally scheduled for 6:40 p.m. local time but was moved up to 3:10 p.m. because of a forecast for evening storms. The early start did not affect the outcome for the Mets, who had lost three straight to the Rockies at Citi Field from April 24-26 before winning the opener of this four-game series.

Colorado’s slide continued after a promising start to the season. The Rockies had won three straight against New York in late April but have since lost five consecutive games. The Mets, meanwhile, have won three of their last four after a brutal 3-17 stretch.

New York continues its nine-game road trip with the second game of the series Tuesday at Coors Field. Colorado will host the Mets again Tuesday before a three-game series at Philadelphia from May 8-10.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Colorado 4, New York 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Mets a 62.30 percent probability to win. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over-under line of 10.5.