Rox endure 2nd heartbreaker in record series
Blackmon sets record for most hits in a 4-game set
DENVER -- The Rockies and Padres spent the weekend placing new entries in the MLB record book -- chief among those the 92 runs, most in a four-game series in the modern era (since 1900).
But having suffered two stunning, ninth-inning collapses -- including Sunday’s 14-13 loss -- the Rockies have to make sure they didn’t leave a chunk of their soul on the Coors Field turf.
The loss ruined a chance to win the four-game set and go to five games above .500 -- a place the Rockies (37-34), who expect to challenge the six-time defending National League champion Dodgers, have never been this season. In the other loss, the Rockies blew a six-run, ninth-inning lead on Friday and fell in 12 innings, 16-12.
“We’ve been through this, like, two days ago, then we came back, scored and won yesterday,” said Nolan Arenado, who struck out against Padres closer Kirby Yates to end a game that the Rockies, at one point led, 14-8. “So it’s nothing new. We’ve gone through it.
“It’s disappointing in general, but we know how to recover from it.”
The previous four-game series runs mark was 88, between Brooklyn and the Phillies at the Baker Bowl on May 16-18, 1929. The biggest and most memorable runs Sunday were the Padres’ four in the ninth -- charged to closer Wade Davis, who entered with a 13-10 lead, walked two and gave up Wil Myers’ RBI single and Greg Garcia’s game-tying, two-run triple with two down in the ninth.
Davis left and the Rockies walked the next two to let Jon Gray -- who was trying to save a spent bullpen by making his first career relief appearance after 103 starts -- face the Matt Strahm, a pitcher pinch-hitting for a team out of position players. Gray fell behind, then walked Strahm with the count full.
Davis didn’t pitch between May 14 and June 7 because of a left oblique strain. His first three appearances were fine. But in his last two -- he came in Friday night after Mike Dunn, also coming off injury, struggled in the ninth -- have seen him suffer his first two blown saves of the season. In those, he has given up six runs on five hits with three walks.
“I just wasn’t behind the baseball, not making good pitches,” Davis said. “Obviously on a day like today, that’s just not going to work out.
“Try to wash it, as much as you can. It hurts, but we try to get better and get ready for this next series.”
Gray, appreciating “getting some game time” on his bullpen day in preparation for a start Wednesday at Arizona, said it was “quite an adrenaline rush.” Black went to Gray because he is a strike-thrower, and used the intentional walks because he knew Padres manager Andy Green was out of position players.
“It was a battle within myself to throw the ball over the plate,” Gray said. “It feels weird. You just came out of the bullpen. Whatever. That one is on me.”
The Rockies have Monday off, but it’s not clear if that will be enough. Not only did they play 3 hours, 31 minutes, but they endured a 15-minute delay in the first because of a broken water line along in right-field foul ground, and a 48-minute lightning and rain delay in the middle of the sixth.
They lost on a day Charlie Blackmon had three hits to reach a Major League-record 15 hits in a four-game series, when Ian Desmond had three hits and drove in his 12th run of the series (fourth most in club history, most since Jeff Cirillo had 13 RBIs vs. the Giants June 26-30, 2000), and when Ryan McMahon and Raimel Tapia had three hits apiece.
They lost when reliever Jesus Tinoco, in his second Major League appearance, pitched three scoreless innings -- after starter Peter Lambert, in his third career start, gave up nine hits and eight runs in three innings, but left with a lead.
Good luck resting between Sunday and the start of a series at Arizona on Tuesday
“We have an off-day, but I don’t think that’s going to really do it justice,” Blackmon said. “I really feel like a lot of guys gave up a lot physically to be able to play this much baseball. Everything has a cost. Hopefully, that doesn’t come back and get us down the road.”
The last two Father’s Days have been like a really ugly tie, wrapped in discarded plastic bags and presented without love, for the Rockies. Last year, Gray blew an early lead in a debacle of a start and Davis made a mess of the ninth in a 13-12 loss at Texas.
“Those are tough ones, no doubt about it,” Black said. “If you think back to last year, there were a couple games like that in a short period of time [at Philadelphia, before the Texas meltdown]. They're in there. We have to turn the page. We have to do that again.”