Rockies Road: free-fall continues in Arizona after series loss

The Colorado Rockies’ historically poor road performance continued on Wednesday, as the team fell for the second straight game to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela deserved better than the loss he was saddled with. Even though he surrendered three consecutive singles in the second inning that ended up as three Diamondbacks runs, Senzatela wasn’t bad, scattering seven hits over six innings of work while striking out five before departing.

Relievers Lucas Gilbreath and Tyler Kinley combined for an ineffective and decisive seventh inning, coughing up three more runs and making a comeback by the punchless Rockies all but impossible.

“We won a series,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after the game. “We haven’t won a series in I don’t know how long.”

The Rockies do. After dropping the first two games of this three-game series to the National League’s worst team, Colorado has handed the Diamondbacks their first series win since early May… when they beat the Rockies.

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NEXT UP: Rockies (37-50, 5th in NL West) at Diamondbacks (25-63, 5th in NL West) | Thursday, Jul. 8 at 1:40 p.m. | COL: Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-5, 5.52 ERA) vs. ARZ: Jake Faria (0-0, 5.25 ERA)

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NOTES

• The Rockies fell to a dismal 6-33 on the road this season, keeping them on pace to become the worst road team in baseball history. They scored more than three runs for only the 12th time on the road this season.

• Trevor Story will enter the 2021 Home Run Derby as the No. 7 seed and face Rangers slugger Joey Gallo — the No. 2 seed — on Monday at Coors Field. Top-seeded Shohei Ohtani of the Angels is the favorite after hitting his 32nd home run of the season on Wednesday night to lead the majors.

• Ryan McMahon (3-for-4 with a double), RF Charlie Blackmon (3-for-4), and C Elias Diaz (2-for-4 with a home run) accounted for eight of the Rockies’ 10 hits Wednesday. The remainder of the team’s starting lineup — minus pitcher Antonio Senzatela — went a combined 2-for-20 (.100).

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THE FINAL WORD

“They got the three runs, but he held them down after that. Six innings of baseball with three runs? A lot of times, that gets a team the ‘W,’ but not tonight.” — Rockies manager Bud Black, on hard-luck starter Antonio Senzatela

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STARTING LINEUP

LF Raimel Tapia
CF Garrett Hampson
SS Trevor Story
RF Charlie Blackmon
2B Brendan Rodgers
3B Ryan McMahon
1B C.J. Cron
C Elias Diaz
SP Antonio Senzatela

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INJURY WATCH

• Austin Gomber (left forearm tightness) was placed on the 10-day IL after leaving his Jun. 19 start. He played catch on Jun. 28 in an effort to build toward throwing bullpen sessions, meaning that he likely won’t return until mid-July.
• Robert Stephenson (strained upper back) was placed on the 10-day IL on Jun. 28.
• Matt Adams (right elbow soreness) was injured during the Jun. 8 game and was placed on the 10-day IL on Jun. 9. He started taking batting practice on Jun. 26 and may be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment soon.
• Jordan Sheffield (torn right lat) was injured on Jun. 3 and was placed on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss at least two months.
• 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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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

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