Rockies drop Schaeffer’s debut despite outstanding effort from Dollander

Rockies Report, Game 41:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Warren Schaeffer’s managerial debut was defined by a malady that has doomed the Rockies throughout the season — an offense that came up small too often — as one second-inning run was all they could muster in a 2-1 loss at Texas on Monday night.

Catcher Hunter Goodman followed his big game Sunday with a 2-for-4 night, including a double. He scored Colorado’s only run; Nick Martini singled him home in the second inning.

Schaeffer made liberal tactical use of his bench, pinch hitting for Martini and Mickey Moniak with Kyle Farmer and Sean Bouchard, respectively. He also used Owen Miller as a pinch runner for Michael Toglia in the ninth inning, but Miller was wiped out on a double play.

Farmer and Bouchard each had two plate appearances, reaching base one time apiece via walks.

Colorado dropped to 7-34, which matches four other teams — most recently the 1988 Baltimore Orioles — for the worst 41-game start in Major League Baseball’s modern era.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

The first quality start of Dollander’s major-league career was nearly an unforgettable night, as he mowed down the Rangers after yielding a skittish five-pitch walk to open the proceedings.

Dollander didn’t allow another baserunner until walking Tucker Barnhart to open the sixth inning, then retired the next two Texas batters before the the bugaboo of his first three starts reared its ugly head, as Dollander left a 1-0 fastball in the heart of the strike zone and Wyatt Langford crushed it 412 feet into the Rangers bullpen in right center field.

In one swing, the no-hitter and Colorado’s fragile 1-0 lead evaporated. Dollander subsequently issued his second walk of the inning — and third of the game — before retiring Adolis Garcia to get out of the inning.

It was Dollander’s deepest start; this marked the first time in seven major-league starts that he reached six innings, just past the 5 2/3 he hurled against Atlanta on April 30. His seven strikeouts also matched the tally he posted at San Diego on April 12.

The positives outweighed the negatives, but the one pitch that got away will gnaw at the rookie.

Two scoreless bullpen innings from Jake Bird and Tyler Kinley followed.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Farmer hit into a 5-3, game-ending double play.


ROCKIES NUMBER TO NOTE: 12 — Games in which Colorado has scored one or fewer runs, the most in the National League.

WHAT’S NEXT: Kyle Freeland gets the start in the second game of the series at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. MDT.

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