Rockies start bad, get worse, now 4-23 after losing for 14th time in 15 games

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 27:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: By the time Colorado mustered its first hit of the afternoon, nearly six full innings had passed, seven Rox had struck out, spot starter Bradley Blalock had already come and gone and Cincinnati already had all the runs it needed — and then some.

The 8-1 drubbing absorbed by the local XI sealed their first home sweep absorbed by the Rox this season. It was also their sixth-straight defeat.

A crowd of 28,408 and a handful of visiting mascots in town for “Dinger Day” witnessed the Rockies’ 14th loss in their last 15 games. One of the guest mascots was the Chicago White Sox’s “Southpaw,” who perhaps wanted to check out the team that started the season in a similar fashion to the Southsiders last year en route to their 41-121 finish.

Amazingly, the ’24 White Sox were better than Colorado is at a similar point — by one game, to be precise.

Colorado’s only run came in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Beck’s sacrifice fly to deep center field brought home Alan Trejo, who returned to the roster Sunday morning and was immediately thrown into the lineup at shortstop, going 1-for-3 with an eighth-inning single.

Beck’s RBI brought about a long, loud ovation dripping with sarcasm from a fan base that somehow continues to flip the turnstiles at 20th and Blake, but at some point seems destined to reach the bottom of its reservoir of grace.

The Rockies had just three hits Sunday, just two coming off Cincinnati starter Nick Lodolo, who continued his strong opening month by allowing two hits, a walk and a hit batter over seven innings. Sean Bouchard also reached base on an Elly De La Cruz error in the fifth inning, but he was erased one pitch later on a 5-4-3 double play.

STARTER’S REPORT: With Ryan Feltner scratched due to back tightness, Colorado called up Bradley Blalock from AAA Albuquerque for a spot start and his first major-league start since last Sep. 10. It got out of hand early, as the Reds tagged him for four hits and three runs in the first inning before he coaxed a fly out from Jeimer Candelario to limit the damage.

Blalock settled down and allowed just one hit in the following three innings, but when he loaded the bases without retiring a batter to open the fifth, his day ended.

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Blalock loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning and Jimmy Herget immediately balked in a run before throwing a pitch. Three more runs came home on a sacrifice fly, a single and a double, and the remainder of the game was academic.

“If there’s any doubt with the pitcher, if he’s going to go from the windup or the stretch, the pitcher has to declare that he’s in the windup. Jimmy was sort of in-between there,” manager Bud Black explained afterwards.

ROCKIES NUMBER TO NOTE: 1 — Number of hits for Kyle Farmer on Sunday as he snapped an 0-for-23 skein that followed a 9-for-23 surge when he was the only hot player during the Rockies’ frigid West Coast road trip at San Diego and Los Angeles. Farmer worked at third base as he filled in for the slumping Ryan McMahon, who is hitting .160.

WHAT’S NEXT: Feltner is expected to start Monday night when the Atlanta Braves arrive to start a three-game series. The Braves will counter with Bryce Elder, who has rarely been effective since being an All-Star two years ago. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MDT.

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