DENVER -- Connor Seabold’s first inning was a Coors Field nightmare on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Two soft singles (which happens in that spacious outfield) and a walk (not advisable) led to a one-out, Javier Báez grand slam that started the Rockies’ 14-9 loss to the Tigers, which also featured a Jake Marisnick slam in the eighth off reliever Brad Hand.

• Díaz earns first ASG nod for Rockies catcher

The past week saw the Rockies absorb losses that were savage (25-1 to the Angels), scarcely competitive (14-3 to the Dodgers) and listless (5-0 to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers). Yet, Colorado woke up Sunday with a chance to complete the nine-game final homestand before the All-Star break with a winning record.

The unadulterated bright spot was rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who extended the Majors’ longest active hit streak to 15 games, followed by two wins from left-hander Austin Gomber. But third may be the three scoreless innings that righty Peter Lambert pitched in a spot start Saturday. It was good enough for the Rockies to option Lambert, who just fully made it back from 2020 Tommy John surgery, to Triple-A Albuquerque with the goal of building him for the starting rotation.

When a pitcher being optioned -- granted, Lambert is a former second-round Draft pick who showed promise when he debuted in 2019 -- is close to the list of positives, it means this homestand has been a rough 4-5.

Here are some takeaways:

No solutions in sight for the rotation
The thing about Coors is that the ball flies for both teams. The Rockies have been homer-challenged this year, but Randal Grichuk had a solo homer in the third and Ryan McMahon added a two-run shot in the eighth. Seabold, a rookie, also yielded Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer in the third, and Jake Rogers’ solo shot in the fourth after Báez’s slam.

“Just execute better,” Seabold said. “I’ve been leaving too many pitches over the plate. Slider has been on and off. My changeup has been good, but I don’t think I’ve been using it enough. The fastball has been good in the past location-wise, and recently it hasn’t been as good.”

In two starts during the stand, Seabold yielded 13 runs in 10 innings. Kyle Freeland allowed 10 runs (nine earned) in his 10 innings, and Chase Anderson suffered 15 runs in 6 1/3. Gomber was the lone truly effective starter.

The Rockies will likely go with four starters during the next road trip, to Houston starting Tuesday and San Francisco starting Friday. For now, there isn’t a fifth.

Tovar, youth leading the offense
Tovar singled in a sixth-inning run and is slashing .350/.357/.567 during his streak, which is tied for the third longest by a rookie in club history and two games shy of David Dahl’s club rookie record of 17 in 2016.

Inexperienced players at the bottom of the lineup were productive. Second-year man Elehuris Montero, who shows comfort at first base, was 1-for-4 with an RBI double, a sacrifice fly and three hard-hit balls. Rookie Brenton Doyle, a solid defender in center who at times struggles making contact, had a pair of sac flies.

Where is the power?
Add Spencer Torkelson’s seventh-inning homer off reliever Gavin Hollowell, and the Tigers finished with five home runs -- hard to beat, but not impossible at Coors. In 44 home games, the Rockies have allowed 64 homers -- second most in the Majors. But they are well back of the pack in homers hit, with 42.

It’s hard to win with struggling pitching, even harder without the offense fighting back.

McMahon, with 13 home runs, is the only Rockies player in double figures. Newly named All-Star Elias Díaz is second with nine. Grichuk (three), C.J. Cron (six), Kris Bryant (five) and Charlie Blackmon (five) have missed significant time with injury, and Blackmon is still out. But even when in the fold, the veterans are lacking power.

Rookies are greater home run threats. Tovar has eight, and Doyle and Nolan Jones have six apiece.