Story caught stealing to end game, as run-desperate Rockies fall to Mets

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, manager Bud Black knew he couldn’t expect his team to string together multiple hits on a day in which they only had three. So after shortstop Trevor Story — who scored the Rockies’ only run earlier in the game — singled to make it a grand total of four Rockies hits, Black gave him the green light.

“We can’t sit back and wait,” Black said after the game.

Story saw his opportunity and broke for second in a steal attempt that would have put him in scoring position for right fielder Charlie Blackmon, but Mets catcher James McCann was on target after turning around a 101-mph Edwin Diaz pitch, and what turned out to be a game-ending replay confirmed that Story was indeed out.

“Diaz is a tough at-bat,” Story explained. “I was trying to get into scoring position for Charlie; to where it wouldn’t take extra bases to score. I’d do it again, for sure. But McCann made a perfect throw and [Francisco] Lindor made a nice tag.”

Blackmon, who drove Story in earlier for the Rockies’ lone run, didn’t get another chance as Colorado fell to 4-12 on the season.

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NEXT UP: Rockies (4-12, 5th in NL West) vs. Astros (7-8, 4th, AL West) | Monday, Apr. 19 at 6:40 p.m. |COL: Jon Gray (1-1, 2.87 ERA) vs HOU: Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 5.27 ERA)

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NOTES

• Antonio Senzatela pitched six innings on Sunday, scattering five hits, walking nine and striking out four and allowing only one earned run. Senzatela is now 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In his two starters against the Dodgers, Senzatela’s ERA is 16.50 over six innings. In his other two starts, spanning 14 innings, Senzatela’s ERA is 0.64.

• The Rockies’ starters have a combined 3.66 ERA this season, including a 3.00 ERA at Coors Field… and that’s while playing the juggernaut Dodgers in seven of their 16 games. Colorado has lost nine of their 12 games by two runs or fewer, and the team is batting only .221 while striking out at what would be a .276 pace.

• Chris Owings, who was injured against the Giants on Apr. 9, needs surgery to repair his injured left thumb and will miss at least eight weeks, according to manager Bud Black. “It’s disappointing and frustrating for ‘C.O.’ He was off to such a great start. And really the last couple years, you know, he’s been banged up, which is a bummer.”

• Ashton Goudeau was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers. Since the end of the 2020 season, Goudeau, 28, has been claimed and waived by the Rockies, Pirates, Orioles, Giants and Dodgers… and is now back with the Rockies. That means Goudeau had been waived more times (five) in the offseason then he’s pitched games in the majors (four) — all of those with the Rockies in 2020.

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INJURY WATCH

• Chris Owings (sprained left thumb) will require surgery that will keep him out until at least late June. He was moved on the 60-day IL on Apr. 18.
• 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

LF Raimel Tapia
2B Ryan McMahon
SS Trevor Story
RF Charlie Blackmon
1B C.J. Cron
CF Garrett Hampson
3B Josh Fuentes
C Dom Nunez
SP Antonio Senzatela

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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.

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