Strikeouts doom Rockies, squander Dollander’s strong appearance

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 8:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Strikeouts continue to be the bugaboo of the Rockies offense.

A problem for years, as the Rockies have ranked third, second and second in Major League Baseball in the last three seasons in total strikeouts, the Rox fanned 13 times Saturday night, fresh on the heels of a 15-K game in the home opener Friday and a 17-strikeout day Wednesday, dooming Colorado to a 2-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night at Coors Field.

While 2023 first-round pick Chase Dollander didn’t start, his 4 1/3 innings of work after entering in the third inning represented a promising development, as he limited the Phillies to a run on four hits and a walk.

Given his extreme home-road splits — he had a 9.98 ERA and a 1.978 WHIP at Coors Field last year — this registered as one of his three best appearances at 20th and Blake in his brief career.

“I thought Chase was very good, throwing 100 (MPH), attacking the strike zone, curveball, slider, changeup was good,” manager Warren Schaeffer said at his postgame press conference.

“I think the biggest difference with him from today and last year at Coors Field was the attack. He was on the attack from the first time he touched the ball.”

Added Dollander in the clubhouse: “Definitely going to be more of an even split this year.”

Dollander shredded the Phillies in his first two innings of work, retiring six-straight Philadelphia batters on 22 pitches in the third and fourth innings, three by strikeouts.

He labored through the fifth but successfully limited the damage, escaping with one run allowed after striking out Kyle Schwarber and getting Bryce Harper to line out to Tyler Freeman for the second and third outs with runners on second and third.

“He was on attack mode. And he wasn’t nibbling — he was attacking,” Schaeffer said.

Dollander rallied in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, leaving a runner on first base. Schaeffer relieved him after allowing a one-out single in the seventh following 71 pitches.

Colorado’s only run came via backup catcher Brett Sullivan, who tied the game at 1-apiece in the third inning with an opposite-field grounder to right field, scoring Troy Johnston from third base.

Sully single!

We are tied 👏 pic.twitter.com/4OzxQegABr

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 5, 2026

But when the Phillies scratched across the fifth-inning run on Trea Turner’s RBI double, Colorado’s die was cast. The Rockies fell to 2-6.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Reliever Brennan Bernardino got the nod as the opener, and the only question was whether he would go long enough to provide a complete bridge to Dollander or if Schaeffer would need to call on another reliever.

In the end, Schaeffer turned to Jimmy Herget after five batters, two walks and 21 pitches. In the midst of that was some bad luck, as a Schwarber pop fly down the left-field line touched the chalk, scoring Turner after he’d led off with a five-pitch walk.

Herget promptly fanned Adolis García to end the first inning and went 1-2-3 through the bottom of Philadelphia’s order in the second before giving way to Dollander.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Willi Castro struck out to end a 1-2-3 ninth inning that Philadelphia closer Jhoan Duran completed in just eight pitches.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 45 — That afore-mentioned strikeout tally. Only six times have the Rockies had more strikeouts in a three-game span in club history.

WHAT’S NEXT: Tomoyuki Sugano makes his Rockies and Coors Field debut in the Easter Sunday series finale. Taijuan Walker gets the call for the Phillies. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. MDT.

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