Focused Anderson keeps rotation line moving

NEW YORK — Rockies rookie left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson’s first nine starts have taught him to care only about what’s important — upholding his part of what’s become a solid starting pitching staff.

He doesn’t care that he didn’t receive the win in the Rockies’ stirring 2-1 victory over the Mets on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. But Anderson does show up in an important stat.

Anderson struck out five and overcame seven hits in six innings to hold the Mets to one run, giving the Rockies their 17th “quality start” (six or more innings, three or fewer earned runs) this month. The club record for quality starts in a month is 19 in June 2009. The Rox had 18 in July 2009 and August 2010.

Starts like Anderson’s on Thursday, when the rookie faced runners in scoring position the final three innings and escaped unscathed, are a reason the Rockies appear on the road to putting a checkered pitching history behind them.

The Rockies (50-52), who have won 10 of 13 since the All-Star break, are 3-1 on their current road trip, and all of the starts — by Jorge De La Rosa, Chad Bettis, Jon Gray and Anderson — have been quality. And Friday night, in the second of …

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