Today was not the occasion the Rockies or their followers had been hoping for.
For a second, it felt prefer it may be potential. An ideal afternoon, a packed home, and Hunter Goodman receiving his Silver Slugger earlier than first-pitch set an optimistic tone.
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Then the primary inning occurred.
Michael Lorenzen by no means settled in. Trea Turner led off with a double, walks piled up, and Bryce Harper made it damage with a two-run single. Bryson Stott adopted with a double, and Brandon Marsh — Charlie Blackmon-esque beard and all — turned on an 0-2 fastball and launched it into the best subject seats.
Seven runs crossed earlier than the inning lastly ended, aided by a ball misplaced within the solar in proper that solely made issues really feel sloppier.
The boos got here early.
Lorenzen’s last line informed the story: three innings, 12 hits, 9 runs — all earned — with two walks and two dwelling runs allowed. He takes the loss and falls to 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA via two begins. The first inning was the clear nightmare, a impolite introduction to the house crowd in his first begin at Coors Field as a Rockie.
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It didn’t get higher. Harper added a homer within the second, and Kyle Schwarber later crushed one into the second deck — a 460-foot blast, the longest within the majors to this point this season.
The harm was unfold all through the lineup. Turner (3-for-4) set the tone, Schwarber provided the ability, Harper reached 3 times, and Alec Bohm and Stott saved innings transferring. It was full, relentless offense.
Lorenzen seemed stiff, out of rhythm, and unable to command his fastball. It was a tough, disappointing begin—however not the entire story.
Meanwhile, Nola seemed like classic Nola.
Aaron Nola improves to 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA via two begins, going 6.1 innings and permitting one earned run on 5 hits with a stroll and 9 strikeouts. He now has 16 strikeouts on the season. Nola labored forward, modified speeds, and saved Rockies hitters defensive all afternoon. With a lead, he by no means needed to do greater than management the sport —and he did that with ease. Still, the Rockies had possibilities.
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In the second, Willi Castro ripped a 104.2 mph double down the road, TJ Rumfield battled his method on, and Jake McCarthy drove one to the monitor — but it surely died in heart.
In the fourth, Mickey Moniak and Ezequiel Tovar singled, Rumfield hustled out an infield hit, and a run lastly scored on a Castro grounder. Not fairly, however one thing.
Too typically, although, it wasn’t sufficient.
Brenton Doyle struck out trying twice in massive spots. The strikeouts piled up. Runners had been left on. Momentum by no means caught.
Through the sport, the road informed the story: 15 strikeouts towards only one stroll, no hitter with multiple hit. That’s now 32 strikeouts during the last two video games — eye-watering stuff. Add it up, and your head begins to spin.
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Doyle and Goodman every struck out 3 times.
Even late, nothing got here simple. Kyle Backhus, a cool Phillies lefty, saved hitters uncomfortable.
Even a quick spark — a Doyle single within the seventh — went nowhere. Strikeout. Lazy fly. Inning over.
And that was the story the remainder of the way in which, with Zach Pop putting out Doyle to finish it within the ninth.
If there was a vibrant spot, it was Valente Bellozo.
Recently added to the roster, he didn’t look the a part of a prototypical energy arm — however he pitched like one. Efficient, composed, and precisely what the Rockies wanted.
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Six innings. One hit. One run. One stroll. Seven strikeouts.
The solely blemish: the Schwarber homer — sure, that one — the 460-foot missile into the second deck, nonetheless the longest within the majors this season. (Schwarber is ridiculous. He would look fairly good in purple, not going to lie…)
Bellozo stabilized the sport, saved the bullpen, and was simply the Rockies’ MVP of the afternoon.
Behind him, Kyle Karros seemed like a giant leaguer within the subject. Clean performs, regular presence — nothing flashy, simply dependable protection.
There’s additionally a broader method to take a look at this one.
Take away the disastrous first inning, and it’s a 3-1 recreation. The Rockies nonetheless probably come up quick, however it’s not less than aggressive. And that’s what lingers greater than something — this wasn’t nearly Lorenzen having a tough day.
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It was about the offense.
Right now, it doesn’t seem like a lineup. It seems to be disconnected. The at-bats really feel remoted, the method inconsistent, and there’s no sense of momentum constructing from one hitter to the subsequent. Too many strikeouts. Too many empty stretches.
At instances, it looks like a group of seven, 8, and 9-hole hitters attempting to get via the order.
It’s one recreation — but it surely felt like one we’ve seen earlier than.
And but… that is a part of it.
There was all the time going to be adversity with this crew. New faces, new concepts, a brand new route. Days like this had been going to occur.
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You simply hoped it wouldn’t present up like this.
Not on at present. Not when the occasion was simply getting began.
Up Next
The Rockies return to Coors tomorrow at 6:10 p.m., with Jesús Luzardo set to go for the Phillies. Colorado’s starter? Still TBD.
And that’s a part of the story.
Is it a bullpen recreation? Is it time for Chase Dollander? However it shakes out, at present’s outing from Bellozo looms bigger — six innings which will find yourself giving the Rockies simply sufficient flexibility to get via tomorrow.
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