One big swing and 14 whiffs doomed the Rockies on Sunday afternoon.
Dominated by veteran right-hander Merrill Kelly, the Rockies were blanked, 1-0, by the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Colorado managed just three hits.
The game’s only run came on Ketel Marte’s one-out homer off Rockies rookie right-hander Chase Dollander in the first inning. From that point on, it was a game of zeroes, and Dollander showed why he’s got the stuff to be Colorado’s No. 1 pitcher of the future. Perhaps he is already.
In a microcosm of this season of miscontent, Colorado struck out 14 times for the third time in its last four games. The Rockies’ 8-38 record is the worst in the modern era (since 1901) through 46 games.
The Rockies had a huge chance in the ninth against reliever Shelby Miller, loading the bases on a single by Kyle Farmer, a double by Hunter Goodman and an intentional walk to Ryan McMahon. But Miller got the slumping Brenton Doyle to pop out, and Michael Toglia lined out sharply to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to end the game.
Pinch runner Tyler Freeman (running for Farmer) might have had a chance to score from first on Goodman’s double, but he held up, waiting to see if Arizona right fielder Corbin Carroll made the catch. Carroll could not, but Freeman had to stop at third.
A day after they exploded for five homers and 19 hits in a 14-12 victory over the Diamondbacks, the Rockies had no chance vs. Kelly, who allowed one hit over seven innings. Kelly was sensational, mixing and matching all of his pitches. His 11 K’s were one short of his career high.
Related Articles
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer: The ‘Renaissance man,’ tireless worker, culture-builder tasked with turning Colorado around Rockies hit five homers, beat Diamondbacks 14-12 for rare road win Grading The Week: CU Buffs great Travis Hunter took about 6 seconds to win Jacksonville’s hearts Rockies Journal: How can Colorado escape being worst team in MLB history? Rockies’ futility continues in 8-0 loss to D-backs as record slides to 7-37Kelly owns the Rockies, and probably their next of kin. He’s posted 10 consecutive quality starts against them, going 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA and 72 strikeouts. In his last five home starts vs. the Rockies, he’s 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
Dollander was out of sync in the first inning and needed 38 pitches to scramble through it. That’s why his outing was so short. Marte ripped a one-out homer to right on a 1-2, 99.3 mph fastball. Dollander then walked Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Josh Naylor in succession.
Disaster loomed, but Dollander struck out Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith to end the inning. Dollander shut out the D-backs for the rest of his outing and finished with a fine line: one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Over his last two starts, the right-hander has yielded only three runs on three hits with 13 K’s over 11 2/3 innings.
The Rockies, now 3-22 on the road, return to Coors Field on Monday to open a four-game series vs. the Phillies.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Rockies strike out 14 times, waste Chase Dollander’s strong start in loss to D-backs )
Also on site :
- 6 Subtle Signs of ‘Future Faking’ To Look Out for in Relationships, Psychologists Warn
- U.S. diplomatic negotiators working for ceasefire in Gaza as Israel ramps up attacks
- Pedro Pascal’s Arms Get Their Own Fan Club