If the Rockies’ opening road trip is any indication, the club’s first 100-loss season last year might’ve just been a harbinger.
Colorado dropped to 1-6 in 2024 with a 9-8 loss to the Cubs on a chilly Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. The Rockies roared back with a five-run eighth to tie the game, but then faltered in the bottom of that inning to get swept in three games.
“That was a tough trip,” manager Bud Black told reporters. “We didn’t pitch great, we didn’t swing the bats great. (That rally) was a good sign though.”
Once again, subpar starting pitching was a factor, as right-hander Cal Quantrill gave up four runs through four innings. The bullpen wasn’t any better, and the Rockies head into their home opener on Friday against the Rays already in a hole.
After setting the Cubs down in order in the first, Quantrill ran into trouble in the second inning as the Rockies went down 4-0.
The frame started innocently enough with Christopher Morel’s infield single, but quickly snowballed. A pair of sacrifice flies plated two runs, then Seiya Suzuki brought home two more with a single to right before Charlie Blackmon got the Rockies out of the inning by gunning Suzuki at second base.
After hard-throwing southpaw Luke Little served as the Cubs’ opener and went one-two-three in the first, Chicago brought on right-hander Ben Brown, who gave up one earned run over four innings.
In the fifth, Suzuki dinged left-hander Jalen Beeks for a solo homer to extend the Cubs’ lead to 5-0.
Jacob Stallings led off the sixth with a double, chasing Brown from the game, and Kris Bryant’s first hit of the season — a single to left — scored Stallings to get Colorado on the board. A Morel throwing throwing error led to another run to make it 5-2.
But Chicago responded in the sixth by plating three runs off Tyler Kinley, as Kinley couldn’t make it out of the inning before being spelled by fellow right-hander Jake Bird. Michael Busch led off with a single off Kinley, then Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman both walked to load the bases.
Miguel Amaya’s single then plated three runs, two off the hit and another off a throwing error by center fielder Brenton Doyle. Errors in the outfield have been a consistent theme through the Rockies’ early ugly stretch, a disappointment for a defense that was projected to be the strength of the team.
Facing an 8-2 deficit, Blackmon chipped away with an RBI double in the seventh, and then the Rockies made noise again in the eighth when they loaded the bases with one out against Yency Almonte, chasing the former Colorado hurler from the game.
Jake Cave proceeded to double off Hector Neris, plating two, then Blackmon’s two-out infield single scored two more, one on an RBI and another off a throwing error by Hoerner. The next batter, Ezequiel Tovar, doubled to deep center to score Blackmon, causing the smattering of Cubs fans in the stadium to boo.
“That was a big double late that should build his confidence,” Black said. “These are growth moments.”
That rally tied the game at 8-8, and gave Colorado a swell of momentum that’s been rare so far in 2024. However, it was short lived.
Nick Mears’ wild pitch on a third strike allowed leadoff man Miles Mastrobuoni to get on board in the eighth. Mastrobuoni checked his swing on a curveball that hit off the plate and got by Stallings. Black described the play as a “tough break.”
Ian Happ followed with a single, sending Mastrobuoni to third. When Suzuki chopped the ball to third baseman Ryan McMahon in the next at-bat, McMahon fired home, but his throw was a little high, and Stallings dropped the ball, allowing Mastrobuoni to score.
“That would’ve been a bang-bang play,” Black said. “(McMahon) made a nice play going to his left, had to throw a little bit off-balance and Jacob just couldn’t quite handle the throw.”
In the ninth, Bryant reached on an infield single to start the inning, but then Adbert Alzolay set down the next three batters to make it a long flight back to Denver for the Rockies.
The Rockies are off on Thursday before their first homestand starts on Friday.
Friday’s pitching matchup
Rays RHP Zack Little (1-0, 0.00 ERA) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-0, 7.71)
2:10 p.m. Friday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Little looked strong in his season debut last weekend, throwing six innings of scoreless baseball in a 4-1 win over Toronto, with four hits and two walks to six strikeouts. In 26 games (14 starts) for the Rays last year, he was consistent, with a 3.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Colorado’s seen little of him, although Elias Diaz and Michael Toglia both have homers off him. Meanwhile, Gomber takes the ball for the home opener for Colorado after turning in a so-so outing in his season debut in Arizona. The Diamondbacks tagged him for four runs in four-plus innings, and the southpaw was hurt by two homers.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Rays LHP Tyler Alexander (0-0, 9.00) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 5.40), 6:10 p.m.
Sunday: Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (0-1, 9.53) at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-1, 0.00), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (2-0, 0.82) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-2, 27.00), 6:40 p.m.
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