Giants Rout Rockies 16-4
The Colorado Rockies (38-66) gave up two runs in the first, and fourteen more after that, as poor pitching and sloppy play led to a 16-4 rout by the visiting San Francisco Giants (57-49) last night in Denver. The Rockies have lost six of their last seven games. Game 2 of the three-game series is tonight at 6:10 at Coors Field (TV: Root Sports).
Colorado starter Jonathan Sanchez gave up two runs on three hits while walking three in three innings and tossing two of a club-record five wild pitches last night.
Facing his former team, Sanchez didn't allow close to the damage relief pitchers Mike Ekstrom, Matt Reynolds and Carlos Torres did -- a collective 13 runs were scored against the trio in the final three innings -- but Sanchez's short start forced the bullpen into early and prolonged work.
The Rockies didn't help Sanchez much on defense -- rookie shortstop Josh Rutledge booted a potential double-play ball that resulted in an unearned run -- or at the plate, managing just five hits against Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong, who put on a clinic before giving up four runs in the seventh inning.
Vogelsong (9-5) kept his pitches low in the zone, throwing 63 percent for strikes and not allowing a baserunner until the fourth. With the bags full for the Rockies, Vogelsong got Jordan Pacheco to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Sanchez (0-3 with the Rockies, 1-9 overall) could only hope for such timing. His first pitch of the game was drilled by Angel Pagan for a single, then an errant pitch allowed Pagan to advance to second. Ryan Theriot drove Pagan in with a single, Rutledge couldn't come up with a spinning grounder and Buster Posey was issued a walk.
Hunter Pence grounded out to plate Theriot and make the score 2-0.
After another hit and wild pitch in the third inning, Sanchez was pulled. His one earned run allowed was Sanchez's lowest total with the Rockies, but so was his three innings pitched. Sanchez threw more balls (34) than strikes (33).
Official: Saturday's Box Score.
Adam Ottavino relieved Sanchez and allowed one run in three innings. He allowed two hits and struck out four, but Ekstrom gave up four runs on three hits in the seventh.
The Rockies chased Vogelsong with a four-run rally a half-inning later to pull the Rockies back within three. Fowler led off the inning with a triple -- to give him 50, the most in franchise history -- and scored on a Carlos Gonzalez sac fly.
Pacheco roped a double, the sixth in his last four games, and Todd Helton followed with another double. Rookie catcher Wilin Rosario then snuck his 18th homer of the season just inside the left-field foul pole.
"Offensively we did a very nice job with the four-run offensive inning, but unfortunately we were down by seven at the time," Tracy said.
With Christian Friedrich revealing after the game that he will likely miss the rest of the year with a stress fracture in his lower back, the Rockies are suddenly swimming in pitching problems: Juan Nicasio suffered a season-ending knee injury in June, Jorge De La Rosa hasn't pitched this year and Jhoulys Chacin is still two rehab assignments away from joining the club.
Tickets are available for tonight’s game at Coors Field vs. the San Francisco Giants, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.
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