The math is not complicated. A lack of key hits, plus costly walks, plus costly errors equals 9-45.
That’s the Rockies’ historically dismal record after a 3-1 loss to the Cubs on Monday afternoon at windy Wrigley Field.
Rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist made an encouraging five-inning start, but it was lost in the Rockies’ usual shuffle.
A microcosm of Colorado’s woeful offense was on display in the sixth inning. Catcher Jacob Stallings led off with a single off starter Jameson Taillon, and Jordan Beck followed with an infield single. Ezequiel Tovar advanced Stallings and Beck with a perfect sacrifice bunt.
But Ryan McMahon hit a chopper to second baseman Nico Hoerner, who threw out the slow-footed Stallings at home for the second out. First baseman Michael Toglia, a strikeout waiting to happen on the road, struck out looking at a 3-2 curveball to kill the rally.
Colorado’s lone run came on Mickey Moniak’s homer off Taillon in the fifth.
Chicago put the game to bed in the seventh with a run off reliever Juan Mejia.
Matt Shaw drew a one-out walk, but Maejia induced a grounder from Reese McGuire. However, rather than get the easy out at first, Maejia tried to force Shaw at second. Big mistake. Maejia’s throw ended up in center field for an error. An Ian Happ single, followed by a sacrifice fly to left by Kyle Tucker, scored Shaw for a 3-1 lead. It was the 48th unearned run the Rockies have allowed this season, the most in the majors.
Palmquist took a big step forward in his third major league start. He pitched five innings, the deepest he’s gone in a game, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out four. The three walks Palmquist issued — all three leading off an inning — were his weak link. The Cubs took advantage of two of their free passes.
Ian Happ opened the first inning with a walk, advanced to third on Seiya Suzuki’s double to right and scored on Dansby Swanson’s groundout to third.
Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Shaw’s leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt by McGuire and a two-out RBI single up the middle by Tucker.
Moniak’s homer, his second in his last two games, was impressive. With the wind blowing in, Moniak muscled Taillon’s 0-1 changeup into the right-field seats, tying the game 1-1. The homer, which broke up Taillon’s perfect game, cut through the wind at 102.5 mph and traveled 399 feet.
A half-inning before, Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped a ball to right field and looked on incredulously when the ball ended up in Moniak’s glove with the right fielder camped on the warning track.
Tuesday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP German Marquez (1-7, 7.66 ERA) at Cubs RHP Cade Horton (2-0, 4.40)
6:05 p.m. Tuesday, Wrigley Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region); KUSA-9; KTVD-20.
Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM
Trending: The Rockies’ minus-173 run differential is the worst in the majors and the second-worst in the Modern Era (since 1901) through 54 games. Only the 2023 Athletics started off worse (minus-190).
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (1-1, 4.38) at Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (4-2, 3.42), 6:05 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
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