The Rockies’ clubhouse was a forlorn place Saturday night, the frustration of a 7-3 loss to the Padres hanging heavy.
It was the Rockies’ third consecutive defeat, a span in which they’ve been outscored 26-5 at Coors Field. And it was their eighth loss in their past 11 games. But it wasn’t just another lopsided loss that stung; it was the manner in which they lost.
For starters, Jeff Francis, counted on to be a go-to guy this season, got pummeled for the second straight time. And while the Rockies’ 14 hits were their second-most this season, and Garrett Atkins tied a club record with three doubles, the Rockies stranded 14 baserunners.
“We swung the bat well, just not in key situations,” Todd Helton said.
Even Helton’s 2-for-3 performance was tarnished. In the third, with the Rockies trailing 5-1, Helton blasted a two-out double to right-center. When Matt Holliday followed with a single up the middle, Helton made a mad dash for home, ignoring a stop sign from third-base coach Mike Gallego, only to be thrown out by Jose Cruz Jr.
“I was just thinking score the whole way,” Helton said. “By the time I looked up it was too late. It was my fault.”
Padres hitters, meanwhile, continued to feast on Rockies pitching. Marcus Giles, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, went 4-for-5 and scored twice. Brian Giles was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. He opened the third inning with a solo homer to right, a nice encore to a three-run homer in the first inning Friday night. Gonzalez has five homers this season; the Rockies, as a team, have seven.
For the third consecutive game, a Rockies starter failed to deliver. Francis allowed 13 hits, matching his career high and just two shy of the club record for hits surrendered by a Rockies pitcher in a game. He departed after six innings, his ERA ballooning to 6.46 after giving up six runs.
“It’s a lot like real estate, it’s about location,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “His fastball command hasn’t been what we have seen from him in the past. He’s getting behind in counts.”
San Diego starter Clay Hensley, who entered the game 0-3 with a 12.21 ERA, got knocked around, too. Pitching with a blistered finger, he gave up 10 hits in six innings, but surrendered only two runs, earning his first win of the season.
The Rockies, meanwhile, continue sinking quickly and quietly in the National League West. After 18 games last season, the Rockies were 10-8. This season, they are 7-11. On the surface, that’s not a huge difference. But the NL West of 2007 appears to be a far different place from the mild, mild West of 2006.
Last year at this point, the Rockies were tied for first place. This year, they are already chasing the division- leading Dodgers, who are 13-5 after defeating Pittsburgh 7-3 in 10 innings. The Padres improved to 11-7.
“I think what we need to stay focused on is what we need to do to play better baseball, playing winning baseball,” Hurdle said.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
