Rockies fall as Lorenzen continues to struggle at Coors Field: ‘I don’t care if it’s Mars. I need to figure it out’

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 47:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Five runs in the third and fourth innings for the Diamondbacks — all with two outs — allowed Arizona to sprint to a comfortable lead that the Rockies could not overcome as Arizona held on for am 8-6 win to take the weekend series in a rain-delayed Sunday-afternoon contest at Coors Field.

One the game got under way after a one-hour, 55-minute rain delay, Arizona nudged in front in the third inning after Nolan Arenado and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. converted a pair of two-out walks into RBI singles. Ildemaro Vargas’ two-out single in the fourth inning extended the lead to 3-0; Corbin Carroll then made it 5-0 when he deposited a high Lorenzen fastball 431 feet into the Colorado bullpen.

Meanwhile, Colorado couldn’t muster a hit until the fourth inning, as Hunter Goodman was the only Rockies batter to reach base in the first 3 2/3 innings against Diamondbacks starter Michael Soroka. At that point, Colorado’s bats finally awakened, with TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston and Willi Castro stringing together three-consecutive two-out doubles. Rumfield and Johnston scored to whittle Arizona’s lead down to 5-2.

But Arizona quickly got those runs back in the fifth inning when Gurriel dropped a solo homer over the left-field fence. An unearned run followed, with the Diamondbacks’ final run scoring one inning later when Carroll took reliever Blas Castaño deep in his Rockies debut for a solo homer that bounced off the second level.

ummmm corbin just hit that one 448 ft pic.twitter.com/67m640gN3d

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 17, 2026

Castaño was called up Sunday morning to replace the optioned Zach Agnos, who was sent down to AAA Albuquerque after posting a 5.59 ERA over 13 relief appearances to date this season.

The Rockies sliced four runs off the lead in the eighth inning. The rally started in a hurry, as they quickly loaded the basis via a Goodman leadoff single and a walk and a hit batter from Arizona reliever Brandon Pfaadt. Sacrifice flies from Willi Castro and Brett Sullivan scored two of the runs; RBI singles from Jake McCarthy and Kyle Karros brought home the other two runs; Karros’ single was hit directly at Arenado. It wasn’t ruled an error, but it was the type of play that the 10-time Gold Glover has made time and again.

Keep the line moving and the runs coming! pic.twitter.com/7OvFp4SITH

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 17, 2026

But Taylor Clarke was able to get out of the inning, and after TJ Rumfield walked to extend the game in the ninth, Johnston flew out to left field, squelching hopes of a dramatic rally.

Colorado fell to 18-29 and dropped its sixth-consecutive series.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

In the second inning, Lorenzen issued a two-out walk, but escaped with no damage. He wasn’t so lucky with a pair of two-out walks in the third inning; a pair of soft RBI singles followed.

“Not great count control,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Bad counts. Two-out walks hurt him. Not what he wanted, not what he was looking for in terms of controlling the strike zone.”

And such sequences have been part and parcel of his frustrating run of form at home so far this season, which has now seen his home WHIP climb to 2.443 with a home ERA that is more than 5 runs higher than it is on the road.

“I don’t care if it’s Mars. I need to figure it out,” Lorenzen said.

Added Schaeffer: “I’m not concerned because of who Mike is: He’s a solution finder. And if that’s the case, he knows about it. He will work to not make that a thing.”

Still, the pattern is impossible to ignore. And in three of his five home starts this season, he’s allowed at least six earned runs. Sunday’s line said it all: nine hits, three walks, six earned runs and two home runs, one of which felt like it sailed to Mars.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Johnston flew out to left field for the final out; he represented the game-tying run.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 10.03 — Lorenzen’s home ERA this season. It’s 4.26 away from Coors Field.

WHAT’S NEXT: A three-game set with the Texas Rangers that is scheduled to begin Monday at 6:40 p.m. MDT, although weather could threaten the opener. Jose Quintana and MacKenzie Gore are the pitchers scheduled for the Monday night series opener.

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