NEW YORK -- Few teams in baseball could have used a 1981-esque reboot of the season at the All-Star break more than the New York Mets. But the second half beginning Friday the way the Mets wished the first half unfolded allowed them to maintain a flicker of hope they can make an unlikely run into postseason contention.

Jacob deGrom won his sixth straight start when seven Mets had at least two hits apiece in a 14-2 rout of the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field.

The Mets expected to receive a combination of ace-caliber pitching and timely hitting regularly in the first half. But deGrom was the only member of the projected Opening Day rotation to avoid the disabled list and lineup anchor Yoenis Cespedes -- who entered Friday in a 5-for-40 skid before collecting a team-high four hits -- was one of five everyday players shelved by injury.

As a result, the Mets (40-47) are 9 1/2 games behind the Rockies (52-40) in the race for the National League's second wild card.

"We just have to do our best to capitalize on opportunities that are provided for us and presented to us," Mets right fielder Jay Bruce said. "That was a good win tonight. That's a good team over there. They've been playing well all year. So, we know what we're capable of."

DeGrom (10-3) continued to do what he's capable of performing like one of the best pitchers in the game on Friday, when he allowed two runs (one earned), four hits and one walk while striking out 11. He threw 26 pitches in the first inning before retiring 14 straight between the first and fifth.

"I knew I threw a lot of pitches in the first inning, so my goal was to get some early outs and I was able to do that," deGrom said.

DeGrom has produced a 1.53 ERA in his last six starts, a stretch in which he has thrown at least seven innings every time while striking out 47 and walking 10. He has seven double-digit strikeout games this season and has thrown at least eight innings five times, a figure exceeded only by the Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer (six).

"A guy like Jake -- I thought we had five of them to start the season -- (is one of) those number one guys," manager Terry Collins said after the Mets improved to 12-6 in deGrom's starts. "When you need them, they rise up. They're there when you need them the most. They keep you from having losing streaks, because when it's their turn and you've lost three or four in a row, they step up and they shut the other team down."

Cespedes, who missed 44 games in the first half due to various leg injuries, offers a similar boost at the plate and in the field to the Mets. The left fielder doubled to start a six-run third inning, capped New York's scoring by beating out an infield RBI single in the eighth and snuffed out the Rockies' biggest threat in the sixth by nabbing D.J. LeMahieu at the plate to finish an inning-ending 7-2 double play.

"He's got all the skills," Collins said. "If we're going to get in it, he's got to lead the way."

DeGrom spotted the Rockies an unearned run in the first when he committed a throwing error one batter before Geraldo Parra laced a one-out RBI single. But deGrom got the run back in the second when he followed up Travis d'Arnaud's run-scoring groundout by hitting an RBI single to give the Mets the lead for good.

T.J. Rivera (two-run double), Jose Reyes (RBI single), Michael Conforto (run-scoring groundout) and Asdrubal Cabrera (two-run single) helped the Mets blow the game open in the third.

Rivera homered leading off the fourth and Conforto hit a three-run shot in the sixth. Cabrera drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.

Parra and Charlie Blackmon had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have lost 14 of 19. Blackmon scored Colorado's second run on a sixth-inning wild pitch.

"It's one game, against a guy who was on," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

Jon Gray (2-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs, nine hits and three walks while striking out one in two-plus innings. It was the second shortest start of Gray's career.

"I just wanted to get positive energy going for the first game, and it sucks to kind of let the whole team down like that," Gray said.

NOTES: Mets LHP Josh Smoker (left shoulder strain) made his third rehab appearance, allowing one run in one inning for Class A St. Lucie. ... Mets RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right shoulder) began a throwing program on Thursday. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (testicular cancer) began a rehab assignment Thursday, allowing an unearned run in two innings for Double-A Hartford. ... Rockies manager Bud Black said RHP German Marquez will start the club's fourth game after the All-Star break on Monday. Black said he wasn't ready to reveal the Rockies' fifth starter yet.