Rockies set new club strikeout record, whiff 19 times in loss

ATLANTA — Rockies Report, Game 70:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: On this humid Saturday in Georgia, you can only call them the Colorado RocKies.

Never before in a nine-inning game had the Rox struck out this often. Nineteen times, from Sam Hilliard leading off against the Atlanta Braves to Jordan Beck going down swinging on a 2-2 count to end matters two hours and 10 minutes later.

The Rockies lost 4-1, falling to 13-57, the worst 70-game start in the modern era. That follows having the worst 60-game start and the worst 50-game opening.

You know the drill by now.

Strikeouts have been a problem all season for Colorado; a high strikeout rate led to the firing of hitting coach Hensley Meulens in April.

Lineup changes seemed to help somewhat; the Rox optioned first baseman Michael Toglia — who led the major leagues in strikeout rate — to AAA Albuquerque earlier this month when his batting verage sagged below .200.

But on Saturday, even the Rockies’ most reliable components fell victim. Third baseman Ryan McMahon — who homered Friday and has been back to his usual self since a dreadful May — struck out in each of his four at-bats Saturday.

Punched out three times were Sam Hilliard, Mickey Moniak and Ryan Ritter.

Colorado’s strikeout tally was just one short of the major-league nine-inning record, set nine times, most recently by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 18, 2022.

It was also a Braves single-game record from the perspective of their pitching staff.

Thirteen of the strikeouts came from starter Spencer Strider, who allowed just four baserunners in six innings of work.

“We just didn’t have an answer for him,” Colorado interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We didn’t have an answer the heater at the top with hop, and then the slider off that. He dominated us. We didn’t have an answer.”

Strider had struggled since his return from Tommy John surgery. His fastball — previously capable of hitting 100 MPH — was settling in at 95 to 96 MPH, neutering his effectiveness.

But against the Rockies, Strider found an extra two to three miles per hour. That made all the difference, as he looked like the flamethrower who led Major League Baseball in strikeouts two years ago.

And the Rockies were scorched, as they have been so often in this dreadful campaign.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

With roughly three dozen family members and friends watching, Chase Dollander had a wobbly opening, walking the first two batters he faced, then allowing a pair of singles to Austin Riley and Matt Olson to get Atlanta on the board and in front, 1-0.

The bases remained loaded with no outs.

Then he locked in, striking out Marcell Ozuna — who one night earlier had put Atlanta in front with a three-run, seventh-inning home run — and getting Drake Baldwin to ground into a 4-6-3 double play

From that point forward, Dollander’s mistakes were few. Unfortunately, one ultimately proved fatal to the Rockies’ hopes — the high fastball to Ronald Acuña Jr. in the second inning that the 2023 NL MVP clobbered into the left-field stands, pushing Atlanta’s lead to 3-0 and effectively putting the game out of reach.

The final run off Dollander was unearned; Austin Riley drove home Acuña, who reached base on an infield single byt advanced to second on a McMahon throwing error. Thus, Dollander took the loss, but left with a quality start, the second of his career and his first since returning from the injured list earlier this month.

Dollander took the loss, but on balance, it was a promising afternoon for the rookie in whom so much of the Rockies’ long-term hopes for their pitching staff are invested.

“For me, that was a big outing for Chase,” Schaeffer said. “Especially rolling that double-play ball in the first inning after a shaky start and then settling in after his last two outings where he was inefficient. He gave us six strong innings and saved the bullpen. He kept the game intact.”

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Rafael Montero relieved Strider in the seventh inning and struck out Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak and Ryan Ritter in order.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 4 — Games this season for the Rockies in which they struck out at least 15 times, the most such performances through 70 games in club history.

WHAT’S NEXT: Austin Gomber will make his first start of the season after being activated from the 60-day injured list.

Atlanta had been scheduled to counter with 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale, who has a 1.41 ERA over his last nine starts — one of which was a Rockies win in Denver. But the Braves elected to scratch Sale and will instead start Grant Holmes and his cascading curly locks.

First pitch is at 11:35 a.m. MDT.

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