The song remains the same for the Rockies. Like a lead zeppelin, they just can’t get off the ground.
After an impressive win over Arizona and reigning Cy Young winner Brandon Webb on Wednesday night, the Rockies crashed back to earth this afternoon against veteran Livan Hernandez, who threw seven innings of four-hit ball in a 3-1 victory.
The numbers are ugly: Colorado fell to 3-4 on this homestand and 9-11 this season at Coors Field.
Today marked the sixth time in seven tries that the Rockies lost the rubber game of a series. They fell eight games behind the streaking Dodgers in the National League West.
The Rockies wasted a solid start from Josh Fogg. In seven innings, he gave up just one earned run on seven hits, walked two and struck out three. Arizona scored one run in the first, combining Chris Young’s leadoff double with Eric Byrnes’ run-scoring infield single off the glove of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
In the third, with two outs and the bases loaded, Tulowitzki booted Miguel Montero’s slow grounder, allowing Hernandez to stroll in from third for a 2-0 lead.
Todd Helton, who entered the game with a blistering .500 average against Hernandez (28-for-56), went 0-for-3 against the big right-hander.
The Rockies blew their best chance in the fourth when they loaded the bases only to see Yorvit Torrealba ground out to short ending the potential rally.
Colorado’s lone run came in the fifth, when Omar Quintanilla led off with a single, moved to second on Willy Taveras’ sacrifice bunt and scored on Tulowitzki’s bloop single to left-center.
In the eighth, Orlando Hudson hit a double off Rockies reliever Jeremy Affeldt and scored on Tony Clark’s pinch-hit single.
Staff Writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
