Rockies lose fifth straight, face second straight sweep after loss to Dodgers
Apr 15, 2021, 6:40 AM
At least the Rockies scored this time.
For the first time since last Saturday, the Rockies plated a run when Trevor Story’s RBI single scored Yonathan Daza, breaking a 26-inning scoreless streak in what still turned out to be another loss to the Dodgers, and the Rockies’ fifth straight overall.
Starter Jon Gray surrendered a first-inning homer to Justin Turner, who watched the ball clear the left-field fence and obliterate a fan’s plate of nachos in comical — and very sloppy — fashion. The Rockies challenged the call, hoping that the now-cheese-coated fan might have reached over the fence, but the homer was legitimate — and at least the challenge allowed broadcasts to play the instant-classic blooper at least a dozen times.
“Things just didn’t click early enough for me,” Gray said. “I think I made the right adjustment. I just made it too late in the first, and that’s what kept me from going five or six.”
Gray left the game after four innings and took the loss. Manager Bud Black didn’t got to see the finish.
After arguing balls and strikes, home plate Phil Cuzzi tossed Black, who ceded control to bench coach Mike Redmond for the remainder of the evening.
“Clearly, Buddy was unhappy with a couple of those calls, and it’s hard to see from the side, but you guys saw the video,” Redmond said. “It looked like those calls were close. They weren’t going our way, and Buddy got his point out there — and made his point. We, right now ,are just in one of those spots where we’re not getting those calls, and then we’re not taking advantage of those opportunities.”
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NEXT UP: Rockies (3-9, 5th in NL West) at Dodgers (10-2, 1st, NL West) | Thursday, Apr. 15 at 8:10 p.m. | COL: Austin Gomber (0-2, 2.89 ERA) vs LAD: Julio Urias (2-0, 2.84 ERA).
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NOTES
• When Trevor Story’s drove in a run in the top of the fifth on Wednesday, the Rockies ended a 26-inning scoreless streak, dating back to Saturday’s loss to the Giants. The team’s longest-ever scoring drought is 30 innings, set back in 2010.
• The Rockies have now lost 14 of the last 17 games at Dodger Stadium and 27 of the last 35 games against the Dodgers overall.
• Jon Gray took his first loss of the season, starting with a wobbly, 36-pitch first inning, and allowing three earned runs in 4.0 innings to watch his ERA rise to a still-excellent 2.87.
• Bud Black was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi. Black deserved the ejection, but he was also right — Cuzzi missed more than a few calls Wednesday, and most of them went against the Rockies.
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THE FINAL WORD
“Tomorrow is a separate entity. I think it’d be different if we scored six, seven runs and lost that way. But two is just not going to get it done.” — Trevor Story, nonplussed after his RBI single broke the Rockies’ 26-inning scoreless streak.
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INJURY WATCH
• Chris Owings (right hamstring soreness) was placed on the 10-day IL on Apr. 10.
• Kyle Freeland (strained left shoulder) was placed on the 10-day IL on Apr. 1. He is expected back in early May.
• Brendan Rodgers (strained right hamstring) was placed on the 10-day IL on Apr. 1.
• Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Mar. 27 and his season is in doubt.
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STARTING LINEUP
CF Garrett Hampson
LF Raimel Tapia
SS Trevor Story
RF Charlie Blackmon
3B Ryan McMahon
1B C.J. Cron
CF Sam Hilliard
C Dom Nunez
P Jon Gray
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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan. Follow him on Twitter at @sdrotar.
