Phoenix – It’s time for concern. Time to wonder if the Rockies will ever make a U-Turn. The Rockies couldn’t win a game Monday night when they held a lead, succumbing 6-5 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
This loss, their ninth in their past 13 games, came 29 hours after they couldn’t gain a lead against the Kansas City Royals, dropping a series to the American League’s worst team.
The Rockies are stuck in a difficult position. Their goal was to win the division this season, or, at the very least, contend for a playoff spot. The optimism was built around a maturing core of young players whom they believed would experience linear growth.
Instead, the Rockies have spent the past 33 days in last place in the National League West, stricken by a rash of injuries and underperforming players.
Colorado rallied to take a 5-4 lead with a three-run seventh inning, that featured RBI hits from Troy Tulowitzki and Kaz Matsui, returning after a six-week absence. But the bullpen, which has been torched over the last month, couldn’t protect the cushion. Jorge Julio, filling in for the for struggling Ramon Ramirez, gave up Carlos Quentin’s second home run in the seventh inning.
In the eighth, Quentin blasted a sacrifice fly, scoring Orlando Hudson with the game-winning run. Quentin finished with a career-high five RBIs.
Staff writer Troy Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
