(Sports Network) - The New York Mets try to put a four-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves behind them this evening when they play the first of three games against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

After sweeping a rain-shortened Subway Series from the Yankees last weekend, the Mets rolled into Atlanta and lost all four games to their division rivals, including a 4-2 setback on Thursday with ace Johan Santana on the hill.

Santana saw his seven-start unbeaten streak come to an end, as he suffered his first loss since April 12 against Milwaukee. Santana (5-3) surrendered four runs -- three earned -- on 12 hits and struck out only one batter with no walks.

Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado both homered for the Mets, who fell below .500 for the first time since it was 5-6 on April 13 and lost for the sixth time in their last eight games overall.

As if things weren't bad enough, New York placed outfielder Moises Alou on the 15-day disabled list with a calf injury. Alou started the year on the DL, while recovering from hernia surgery and missed more than two months last season after straining his left quadriceps muscle.

Hoping to stop the bleeding tonight will be inconsistent left-hander Oliver Perez, who has won his last two starts after losing three in a row. Perez defeated the Yankees on Sunday, allowing two runs and three hits in 7 2/3 frames, as he ran his record to 4-3, while lowering his earned run average to 4.25.

Perez is 4-4 lifetime against the Rockies with a 5.04 ERA in 12 games, 11 of which have been starts.

Colorado, meanwhile, will pin its hopes on 22-year-old right-hander Greg Reynolds, who is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA. After losing his first major league start, Reynolds, the second overall pick in the 2006 draft, received a no- decision on Saturday against Minnesota, despite a terrific effort, as he scattered three hits in six scoreless innings of his team's 3-2 win.

Colorado dropped the final two games of its three-game affair with the San Francisco Giants, falling 3-2 in 10 innings in Wednesday's finale.

The Rockies wasted a strong performance in that one from starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who scattered three hits and walked two in seven scoreless innings. Brian Fuentes allowed two runs in the ninth to blow his third save, while Matt Herges (2-1) surrendered the deciding run in the 10th to absorb the loss.

The Rockies have lost four games when leading after eight innings, the highest total in the majors.

Willy Taveras doubled and scored a run for Colorado, which has dropped eight of its last 11. Matt Holliday and Jeff Baker both knocked in a run.

Colorado defeated the Mets four of the six times it played them last season and New York has dropped four in a row at Coors Field.