Rockies blitzed by seven-run Phillies first inning, throttled in home opener

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 7:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE:

With a sizable chunk of the sellout crowd of 48,366 still settling into their seats, the Rockies’ home opener was for all intents and purposes decided. Philadelphia paraded 11 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, with seven crossing the plate against a beleaguered Michael Lorenzen, whose first home inning could scarcely have turned out worse.

Lorenzen lasted just three innings and surrendered 12 hits, and Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola befuddled Colorado’s hitters, holding them to one run on five hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings as the Phillies blasted the Rockies 10-1 to ruin a crisp, sun-drenched afternoon at Coors Field.

Reliever Valente Bellozzo was the lone hero of the day for the Rox, making his club debut after being called up from AAA Albuquerque on Thursday and delivering six innings of one-run, one-hit ball to save Colorado’s bullpen.

Bellozzo made just one mistake, and Kyle Schwarber dropped it 460 feet into the second level of the right-field stands. But one run over six innings is splendid; however, he received just one run of support, while Colorado batters struck out 15 times — nine against Nola and six against three Philadelphia relievers, who covered the final 2 2/3 innings.

Colorado fell to 2-5.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

The small sample size of two previous starts at Coors Field for Lorenzen — one with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and the other with the Detroit Tigers in 2023 — didn’t augur well, with a 15.95 ERA — although his career ERA of 9.24 at 20th and Blake, including his relief appearances, wasn’t as shaky. Still, it’s small-sample size theatre, and plenty of time has passed.

But his third start at Coors and his first with the Rockies since since coming aboard as a free agent this offseason was the worst of the three. The first five Phillies reached the plate. Brandon Marsh and Bryce Harper clubbed homers at his expense, with Marsh’s shot reaching the second deck.

Still thinking about how far Brandon Marsh hit this baseball ☄️ pic.twitter.com/TE7iFRDQ5V

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 3, 2026

Trea Turner’s leadoff double started the onslaught, and after a pair of walks, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott brought home three runners with a single and a double, with one hit after another seeming to find the gaps in the Rockies’ infield.

“There’s a lot of singles and a lot of balls hit where guys weren’t, which is baseball,” Lorenzen said. “I think that’s why having a veteran group in here is kind of nice to be able to look at the outing and say, ‘Man, if a lot of those balls are hit at guys, the game’s completely different.’

“But it was just the first inning with the walks and the homer. That’s going to hurt anywhere.”

After the seven-run first inning, he allowed one run in each of the following two innings, as Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer wanted him to at least eat some innings and save the bullpen. The problem was, he reached 77 pitches after just three frames; at that point, with 12 hits and two walks at that point, his day was done.

“Yeah, the fastball command wasn’t there to start,” Lorenzen said. “So, yeah, getting behind in counts against a lineup like that isn’t going to set you up for success in the first inning there. And then you include some hits, some singles through the infield and balls that fall in different, things like that. I’ve just gotta do better early on.”

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Harper fired a solo homer into the Rockies’ bullpen in the second inning, pushing the Phillies’ edge to 8-0.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 26 — Pitches required for Lorenzen to record his first out, when he finally struck out Philadelphia right fielder Adolis García.

WHAT’S NEXT: Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer confirmed Friday morning that Chase Dollander will pitch at some point Saturday; the question is whether he will start or enter after an opener. Jesús Luzardo gets the nod for the Phillies. First pitch will be at 6:10 p.m. MDT.

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