Rockies drop 10th in last 11 games as Padres wallop them in second inning

Rockies Report, Game 153:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Within the first six pitches the Rox saw from San Diego starter Michael King on Thursday afternoon, they burst in front 1-0, as Connor Norby drove in Jake McCarthy, who led off the bottom of the first with his 11th triple of the season, a tally that ranks second in MLB.

Jake's 11th triple of the season & a Connor RBI give us the early lead! pic.twitter.com/3JFOOnNAyE

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 17, 2026

But it quickly came apart in the top of the second inning. The Padres sent 11 batters to the plate, starting with Xander Bogaerts, who led off with a solo homer. He ended the explosion with an RBI triple that scored Jackson Merrill. In between, five more Padres scored.

The damage was comprehensive: three singles, two walks, two triples and the Bogaerts homer. Starter Tanner Gordon needed 44 pitches to finally douse the fire, but by that point, the Padres had seven runs and were well on their way to a 9-3 rout of the Rockies on Thursday at Coors Field.

The Rox fell to 56-97 and must go 7-2 or better in their final nine games to avoid the club’s fourth-consecutive 100-loss season, something no team has done since the 1962-65 New York mets.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Gordon’s September struggles continued Thursday. He hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning in any of his three starts this month, and after allowing a single earned run in his final two August starts, he’s surrendered five, four and seven in his last three trips to the mound, in a slump that has mirrored the club’s fade in this frustrating final stretch of the season.

With his pitch count at 86 after three innings, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer lifted Gordon for reliever Zach Agnos.

The Rockies have a basic problem right now: All of their current starters have struggled. Their last trip through the rotation featured five starters whose earned-run averages are all above 5.00; Mason Adams’ 5.09 figure is the best of the bunch. Three of them — Gordon, Kyle Freeland and Gabriel Hughes — are north of 6.00 for the season.

It’s hard for the Rockies to stop a skid when their rotation, at this point, lacks an ace. That’s where losing Chase Dollander continues to echo; he’s the only Rockies pitcher with at least three starts this season who has an ERA below 5.00 (3.89).

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: San Diego added two runs in the fifth on RBI hits from Samad Taylor and Dustin Harris, pushing the Friars’ edge to 9-1.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 12.34 — Gordon’s September earned-run average.

WHAT’S NEXT: A three-game home series with the Seattle Mariners, which will include Saturday’s ceremony unveiling Todd Helton’s statue at the corner of 20th and Blake. The series begins with a 6:40 p.m. MDT game Friday night; Bryan Woo will start for the Mariners. Colorado’s starter is to be determined; it’s Hughes’ turn in the rotation.

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