Legend has it that the late John McCay, coach of the forlorn 0-16 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs, was asked, “What do you think of your team’s execution coach?” To which McKay replied, “I’m in favor of it.”
Quite an apropos memory, considering the Rockies’ performance in an 8-0 shellacking by the Padres Friday night at Petco Park where the Padres improved to 8-0.
The reeling Rockies, meanwhile, have opened their season with a 3-10 record.
Colorado’s tale of woe was extensive:
• The Rockies had three hits, all by second baseman Kyle Farmer.
• Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta dominated the Rockies, allowing those three hits to Farmer, striking out 10 and walking one.
• The Rockies struck out a season-high 15 times and have a 29.5% strikeout rate that is by far the highest in the majors. Rookie outfielder Zac Veen, hitting leadoff, wore the golden sombrero, whiffing four times.
• After a strong first four innings, right-hander German Marquez fell apart in the fifth and was charged with six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
• The Padres scored six runs in that pivotal fifth, sending 12 men to the plate. Marquez appeared to get out of the inning on a double play, but Hunter Goodman was called for catcher’s interference, and the Padres stayed alive and piled on. Goodman’s throwing error on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s stolen base allowed former Rockies catcher Elias Diaz to jog home.
• Rockies right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli served up two long home runs, a solo shot to Tatis in the sixth and a solo shot to Gavin Sheets in the seventh.
• Colorado has scored two or fewer runs in eight of its first 13 games.
Regarding the catcher’s interference in the fifth, Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters in San Diego: “That was a back-breaker, for sure. It looked like a double play ball, two outs in the fifth in a one-run game. … But we couldn’t quite get that third out of the inning. They kept pecking away at us and we couldn’t quite put them away.:
Saturday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (1-0, 7.20 ERA) at Padres LHP Kyle Hart (1-0, 11.12)
6:40 p.m. Saturday, Petco Park
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
Trending: Dollander, Colorado’s No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made his big-league debut in his last start, allowing four runs on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts in five innings. He became the first Rockies starting pitcher to earn a win in their debut since Peter Lambert in 2019. Entering Friday night’s game, Dollander was the Rockies starter with a winning decision this season.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-2, 3.79) at Padres RHP Michael King (2-0, 4.05), 2:10 p.m.