What began as a blowout deficit ended in a close loss as the Colorado Rockies’ last chance at some “LoDo Magic” fell short in a 12-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies suffered the sweep while finishing 32-49 at Coors Field this season.
Attack of the Snakes
The first inning has been a disaster for the Rockies most of the season, but especially during their slide over the last few weeks. There was hope with Tanner Gordon on the mound, who has had strong numbers in the first inning and could buck the trend and start
the team off with a solid chance in the final home game.
The Diamondbacks had other intentions.
Lars Nootbar started the game with a hot shot down the first-base line that TJ Rumfield managed to stop from going for extra bases. However, Gordon was late getting off the mound and it turned into an infield single. Gordon then walked Ketel Marte, followed by a three-run home run off the bat of Gabriel Moreno to make it 3-0.
Geraldo Perdomo then launched a ball to center field for a triple before coming in to score on a bloop single to left field by Pavin Smith for the fourth run of the inning. Nolan Arenado then followed with his 29th home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 6-0.
Gordon finally escaped the inning, but six runs in the first brought the total number of runs allowed in the opening frame of the series to 13. The Rockies have also allowed a run in the first in 12 of their last 17 games.
The Diamondbacks kept the foot on the gas in the second inning as Nootbar singled to lead off and scored on Marte’s RBI double. Perdomo later blooped a single into shallow center field to score another run, making it 8-0 after two innings.
After a scoreless third inning, Gordon’s day would come to an end early in the fourth inning. Perdomo led off the inning with a walk, the fourth of the game and a new career high for Gordon. Smith’s then delivered an RBI double. Gordon managed to strike out Arenado, but then surrendered a single to Corbin Carroll to end his afternoon, but was still tagged for the 10th Arizona run when James McCann singled to left field off reliever Jimmy Herget.
Gordon lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits with four walks and just one strikeout. The Diamondbacks were not fooled by his fastball, meaning he had to rely on his secondary pitches, which he struggled to command. When he did have to throw a fastball, Arizona made sure to square up the ball and do damage. Despite pounding the zone as usual, Gordon threw 96 pitches and induced three groundouts and five flyouts, but only had three swings and misses.
The Bullpen Fire Brigade
Having to take on another heavy workload, the bullpen did an admirable job settling down the Diamondbacks offense.
Herget picked up 2.2 innings of work and was solid enough despite giving up an RBI single to Arenado in the fifth inning and a McCann home run in the sixth inning to make it 12-1. He still managed four strikeouts against one walk while surrendering four hits, but his 49 pitches helped navigate to the later frames.
Nick Frasso and Juan Mejia then followed with scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, setting the tone after the Diamondbacks had started subbing out players. Jordan Romano then took over the ninth and, despite giving up a triple, fired a clean inning.
E-Rod Domination
While the Diamondback offense had a productive day at the plate against Gordon, the Rockies offense couldn’t quite figure out Eduardo Rodriguez. The veteran left-hander breezed his way through six innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Utilizing four grounders and seven easy flyouts, Rodriguez threw 92 pitches and stayed in the zone consistently. He had a 63% first-pitch strike rate and 12 swings and misses. His changeup was particularly effective, generating a 21% whiff rate.
The Rockies scratched across their first run in the fourth inning against Rodriguez when Rumfield singled to lead off. Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros both singled to then load the bases. Brett Sullivan then hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed the run to score, but put runners on the corners with one out. Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t scratch across any other runs. The next run wouldn’t come across until the sixth inning when Karros sent a belt-high fastball into left field for his 13th home run of the season, making it 12-2 Diamondbacks.
Here Come the Rockies!
Once Rodriguez was out of the game, the Rockies had begun a line change of their own in the seventh inning, but started to find some success against the Arizona bullpen.
Facing Dennis Santana, Zac Veen led off with a double down the line. Two batters later, Hunter Goodman delivered a one-out RBI single after a lengthy at-bat to make it 12-3.
Rumfield followed with a walk, setting the table for Carrigg to hit a three-run home run. It was his 11th of the season and got the Rockies back within six runs.
Taylor Clarke then took over the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning and ran into more trouble from the Rockies offense. Veen kicked off another rally with a towering home run to right field for his third of the season to make it 12-7.
Adael Amador then barrelled up a baseball to right for a double. After Goodman recorded the second out on a line drive, Rumfield lined a double to right to drive in another run and make it 12-8. With that double, Rumfield also tied Troy Tulowitzki for most times reaching safely in a rookie season at 243. Karros then threatened with a long fly ball that was caught shortly before the wall in left field to end the inning.
Unfortunately, the rally magic ran out as Kevin Ginkel worked a clean ninth inning to put the Rockies away. In the game, the Rockies had 17 hits, while striking out eight times against one walk. Carrigg led the way with four hits while four other hitters had two hits. They went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position but left 10 on base.
Meanwhile, Arizona had 18 hits with seven strikeouts and five walks while going 6-for-15 with RISP. Oddly enough, they also left 10 men on base, but had three batters with three hits.
Up Next
The Rockies head off to the South Side of Chicago to take on the White Sox for the final three-game series of the season. Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) will face off against Sean Burke.
First pitch is at 5:40 pm MDT.
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