NEW YORK -- The Matt Harvey that faced Colorado at Citi Field on Tuesday night is a lot different than the one that pitched for the New York Mets against the Rockies in Queens almost two years ago. Forgive the Rockies if they think the new Harvey and the old Harvey are one and the same.

Harvey threw eight splendid innings of four-hit ball Tuesday as the Mets won their second straight with a 4-0 victory over the Rockies.

The right-hander has thrown 17 shutout innings against the Rockies in his two starts against Colorado at Citi Field. He twirled his only career complete game and shutout in a 5-0 win over the Rockies on Aug. 7, 2013 -- less than three weeks before he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, an injury that necessitated Tommy John surgery.

Harvey missed all of 2014 recovering from the operation and has been a slightly different pitcher this season. While he can still dial his fastball into the upper 90s, Harvey has been willing to throw more off-speed stuff in order to force batters to put the ball in play so that he pitch deeper into games.

"We know he's got the power stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Threw a lot of changeups. A little surprising how many changeups he threw, but he had a lot of confidence in it. Got a lot of outs with it. It's tough when a guy's mid-upper 90s and he's got the changeup too."

Harvey struck out just four Tuesday -- the seventh time in 22 starts he's whiffed four or fewer -- but recorded nine ground ball outs, walked none and needed just 97 pitches to complete the eight innings.

"The guys made all the plays," Harvey said. "Pretty easy when you need to throw strikes and they are making plays like that."

In his last 10 starts dating back to June 16, Harvey is 5-3 with a 1.45 ERA.

"He's starting to get all the things we know he has -- all the weapons, all the things that made him special," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "His command with all his pitches is coming back. You're seeing life on his fastball. It's not just straight. It's got some great movement That's why he's getting the ground balls he's getting."

With the first-place Mets (61-52) hoping to keep Harvey pitching deep into October, Collins said he had no qualms about pulling him after eight innings. At least publicly, the famously competitive Harvey said he didn't mind getting the hook.

"The big picture is going through September into October," Harvey said.

It might have been a different story Tuesday night with some better luck in the first six innings, when the Rockies racked up three infield hits. The only outfield hit Harvey surrendered was a one-out double by first baseman Ben Paulsen in the seventh.

"We make plays on three ground balls, this guy's got a perfect game going," Collins said, "He's not coming out. There's going to be nights that we're going to have that."

Paulsen was only the second Rockies player to reach second base, but he was immediately erased when second baseman D.J. LeMahieu -- who singled and stole second in the second -- lined into a double play.

"He's a tough pitcher," LeMahieu said. "When you get opportunities, you need to take advantage of them. We really didn't have too many opportunities in general tonight."

Harvey and Rockies left-hander Chris Rusin (3-5) were locked in a scoreless duel until the sixth, when Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada's two-out single scored right fielder Michael Cuddyer from second.

The Mets tacked on three runs in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson -- batting for Harvey -- drew a bases-loaded walk before centerfielder Juan Lagares hit a two-run double.

Lagares finished 3-for-4 for the Mets, who ensured they'd remain at least 1 1/2 games ahead of the Washington Nationals in the National League East. The Nationals played the Los Angeles Dodgers later Tuesday night.

Cuddyer, who came off the disabled list Monday and played Tuesday for the first time since July 21, was 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.

Rusin allowed the one run on eight hits and one walk (intentional) while striking out five for the Rockies (47-64), who have lost nine of their last 13 games.

NOTES: The game started on time at 7:11 despite intermittent day-long rains. ... Mets 1B Lucas Duda sat out with a sore back and RF Curtis Granderson got the night off against Rockies LHP Chris Rusin. New York's lineup featured LF Michael Cuddyer in right field for the first time this season and INF Daniel Murphy at first base for the second time. ... Mets 3B David Wright (spinal stenosis) played third base and went 1-for-3 in a rehab game for Class A St. Lucie. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (right elbow) threw three innings in a simulated game. He is scheduled to make a rehab start on Sunday. ... Rockies manager Walt Weiss, who grew up 40 miles north of Citi Field in Suffern, N.Y., visited with friends and family -- including his father -- in the dugout before the game.