Rockies can’t complete comeback from seven-run deficit, drop series finale to Pirates

Rockies Report, Game 78:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: After trailing 8-1 entering the eighth inning, a late flurry allowed the Rox to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but hopes of this season’s biggest comeback win evaporated when Willi Castro ground into a 6-4-3 double play, sealing an 8-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of 38,912 on Father’s Day at Coors Field.

TJ Rumfield launched the rally with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, crushing a Dennis Santana changeup into the Colorado bullpen to slice Pittsburgh’s lead down to 8-4. Two more runs scored off Pirates closer Gregory Soto in the ninth via a Kyle Karros RBI double and a throwing error from Brandon Lowe that allowed Karros to score on a one-out Jake McCarthy infield single.

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But two pitches later, Castro hit into the double play, squelching hopes of a dramatic conclusion to the comeback.

Nearly all of the Rockies’ production Sunday came from the top two-thirds of the lineup; the bottom three spots in the order — which started out with Sterlin Thompson as the designated hitter, Kyle Karros at third base and Brett Sullivan behind the plate — went a combined 1-for-10 with a walk and five strikeouts.

Colorado dropped to 30-48.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Michael Lorenzen ended up taking the loss and dropping to 2-9, but for a while early, it looked like he was in position for his best Coors Field start. He retired the first eight Pirates batters he faced and escaped two-out, two-on trouble in the third inning.

But after mowing through the Pirates’ order early, eight of the final 16 batters he faced reached base. A two-run homer surrendered to Nick Gonzales in the fourth inning on a curveball that landed square in the center of the strike zone was the big blow; the final two runs at his expense scored when Juan Mejia couldn’t erase the two one-out hits Lorenzen allowed in the sixth inning.

Such is the state of Lorenzen’s season that allowing four earned runs over 5 1/3 innings actually improved his ERA, but the truth of his frustrating campaign remains that his ERA is an inconvenient 7.11.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Castro made contact with Gregory Soto’s 0-1 sinker that was in the low half of the strike zone, hitting into the game-concluding double play.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 11 — Pittsburgh hits from the fourth through seventh inning as the Pirates pounded away at Lorenzen and reliever Juan Mejia, building what would become an insurmountable lead.

WHAT’S NEXT: A three-game series against the Boston Red Sox, who arrive for their biannual visit to Coors Field. Ryan Feltner and Jake Bennett will get the starting assignment for the Rox and Sox, respectively. Monday night’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MDT.

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