The rally was furious, but it was too little and too late.
So, once again, the Rockies came up short, losing 13-9 to the Padres on Friday in front of 30,490 fans at Coors Field on a perfect spring night.
Colorado lost its seventh consecutive game and fell to 6-32, matching the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the worst 38-game start in Major League Baseball’s Modern ERA (since 1901).
The Rockies pounded out a season-high 16 hits and made the Padres, owners of one of the majors’ best bullpens, squirm. In the middle of the eighth, the Rockies trailed 13-2 before igniting a patented Coors Field rally.
“We showed no quit right there, and hopefully we can build off that momentum,” third baseman Ryan McMahon said. “I think that was big for us, to have some success and go out there and put some good at-bats together.”
Colorado scored five in the eighth, keyed by a two-run double by Kyle Farmer and a two-run single by Brenton Doyle.
In a two-run ninth, Colorado got an RBI triple from catcher Hunter Goodman and a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak, and San Diego was forced to bring in closer Robert Suarez. He induced Sean Bouchard to ground into a double play to end the craziness.
“The guys got rewarded with some good swings there late, some good at-bats, we hit some balls on the barrel,” manager Bud Black said. “They kept going, and we talked as the later innings went on … let’s try to make them bring in their closer.”
But once again, bad starting pitching and porous defense hurt the Rockies. They have allowed at least eight runs in five consecutive games, tied for the longest such streak in franchise history. And, with three errors Friday night, they have committed eight errors over their last three games, their most in a three-game span since committing eight errors from Sept. 16-18, 2003.
One play symbolized the Rockies’ season of discontent.
In the sixth inning, with Manny Machado perched on third base, San Diego’s Xander Bogaerts hit a flyball to Doyle in center. Doyle loaded up and rocketed the ball to the plate. The throw was a little wide, but Goodman caught the ball and attempted a sweeping tag of Machado at the plate. It was a terrific, bang-bang play — except the Goodman dropped the ball when his glove hit the sliding Machado.
Machado scored, Goodman shook his head, and the Padres’ lead increased to 12-1.
San Diego scored a season-high 13 runs on a season-high 16 hits, their most runs at Coors since also scoring 13 on Sept. 25, 2022.
And so it goes in LoDo.
But there were rays of light for Colorado.
In the fourth, Michael Toglia hit a one-out solo homer off Padres starter Randy Vasquez. Toglia’s fifth homer snapped the Rockies’ 32-inning scoreless streak against San Diego, the longest such streak in franchise history. Colorado’s drought extended back to its final two innings vs. the Padres last season and included a three-game set in San Diego earlier this season when Colorado failed to score a run.
McMahon led off the sixth with a solo homer to right off Vasquez, McMahon’s fifth home run. He finished the night 3 for 5. After a terrible slump, the third baseman is starting to heat up. Over his last eight games, McMahon is hitting .407 (11 for 27) with three homers, two doubles and a triple.
In the eighth, Jordan Beck hit another solo homer, a 428-foot blast to right-center off Sean Reynolds. Beck’s six homers lead the team.
On a night when the Rockies managed just three runs and committed three errors, they dearly needed a strong start from veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela against the Padres’ loaded lineup. They didn’t get it.
The Padres rapped out nine hits and scored eight runs (four earned) off Senzatela in 4 2/3 innings. Senzatela’s ERA climbed to 5.77, and opponents are hitting .382 against him.
San Diego opened the game with three straight singles to take a 1-0 lead. It could have been worse for Senzatela, but fortunately for him, Bogaerts screeched a line drive to Toglia at first base, who turned it into a double play.
San Diego broke out with a four-run third, taking advantage of Farmer’s error at short to open the inning. The Padres’ five-run fifth inning was highlighted by catcher Martin Maldonado’s two-run homer to left off reliever Jimmy Herget.
Pitching matchup
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 0.0 ERA) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blaylock (0-1, 8.03)
6:10 p.m. Saturday, 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
Trending: With 24 innings pitched entering Friday night’s game, right-hander Angel Chivilli led the majors in relief innings. He pitched a career-high 3 2/3 innings in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader vs. Detroit.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-1, 2.01) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-6, 9.90), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (2-3, 7.71) at Rangers Tyler Mahle (3-1, 1.48), 6:05 p.m.
— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
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