PHOENIX — The Rockies’ growing pains are going to hurt.
What was already suspected became evident in the season’s first series, which saw the Rockies lose three of four games to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Colorado’s 5-1 loss on Sunday stung because the outcome could have been different, except that the Rockies played poor defense and squandered a prime chance to score runs.
The critical meltdown came in the Diamondbacks’ two-run fifth inning. Although starter Ryan Feltner issued a leadoff walk to Tucker Barnhart and Barnhart stole second base, Feltner worked out of trouble. Or at least he thought he did. But left fielder Nolan Jones dropped a routine, two-out flyball hit by Ketel Marte, allowing Barnhart to score. Then Rockies killer Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped an RBI single into the left-field corner.
Gurriell hit 2-for-4 and drove in two more runs. He finished the four-game series hitting .471 with 10 RBIs.
Feltner deserved a better fate. He rebounded from a tough, three-run first inning that included a throwing error by catcher Jacob Stalling, a botched pickoff play at second and a solo homer by Christian Walker.
But Feltner settled in after that and pitched through the fifth inning, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Stallings drove in Colorado’s only run with an RBI single in the fifth off Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt, scoring Michael Toglia, who led off with a walk. But what could have been a big inning for Colorado fizzled. With the bases loaded and one out, Jones managed only an infield popout, and Elehuris grounded out to shortstop.
Pfaadt confounded the Rockies early, striking out five of the first hitters he faced — four of them looking. Pfaadt gave up one run on five hits over five innings. He fanned six and didn’t walk a batter.
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Patrick Saunders
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