Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Carlos Beltran delivered three big blows and fueled a New York Metsoffense that was missing some of its biggest bats.

Beltran hit a career-high three homers and drove in six runs to help the Mets beat scuffling Ubaldo Jimenez and the Colorado Rockies 9-5 on Thursday in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.

Beltran homered from both sides of the plate and reached all parts of the ballpark with his three two-run homers: straightaway center in the first, deep left in the seventh and into the right-field seats in the ninth.

This was quite a gratifying afternoon for a player who’s been hampered in recent seasons with knee injuries. He felt like a kid again.

“I never smile a lot, but I was smiling,” Beltran said. “It’s going to be a day I’ll never forget.”

The switch-hitting outfielder became the eighth Mets player to hit three in a game, and first since Jose Reyes on Aug. 15, 2006, at Philadelphia.

And the Mets needed all his offense, too, especially with first baseman Ike Davisgoing on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained left ankle and bone bruise, and with third baseman David Wright sitting out to rest a sore neck and back.

“He was a one-man wrecking crew today,” Wright said. “That’s a monster day.”

Reyes hit a two-run single in the fourth that chased Jimenez (0-3) from the game and kept the Rockies ace searching for his elusive first win of the season. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his shortest stint of the season, surrendering five runs and three hits while tying a career high with six walks.

“I was trying to be a little bit too fine,” Jimenez explained. “I was trying to hit the corners instead of throwing the ball down the middle and making them swing the bat.”

WRITTEN BY & FULL STORY HERE