PHILADELPHIA — The last time the City of Brotherly Love witnessed a mismatch of this magnitude was the first fight in Rocky III when Clubber Lang massacred Rocky Balboa.
Just like Lang’s prediction for “pain,” you could see this one coming.
The final score of Monday night’s game: Phillies 20, Rockies 5.
Powerhouse second baseman Chase Utley did the most damage, going 3-for-6 and driving in a career-high six runs. Philadelphia banged out 19 hits, and its 20 runs were the most scored by a team this season.
Colorado, decimated by injuries that left them without starters Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins and Clint Barmes, faced the National League’s most potent offense in the bandbox known as Citizens Bank Park. What the Rockies needed was a shutdown pitcher. What they had was Jorge De La Rose.
The left-hander just might have pitched himself out of the rotation. Although he’s scheduled to throw Saturday in Chicago, that start could go to veteran left-hander Glendon Rusch, who’s allowed one run in 11 innings at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Spotted a 3-0 lead on Ryan Spilborgh’s three-run homer in the first inning, De La Rosa wasted no time allowing the Phillies back into the ballgame. He walked Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino to open the Phillies’ first, moved them forward when he was called for a balk, then grooved a 2-2 pitch to Utley. He deposited it into the right-field seats for a three-run homer, his 16th blast of the season. De La Rosa reacted by pounding his glove in frustration. For Utley, it was the eighth homer of the season against left-handed pitching, best in the majors.
The Phillies’ fourth was a feeding frenzy. Pedro Feliz, Chris Coste and So Taguchi painted the lines with three consecutive doubles, forcing De La Rosa from the game. With blood already in the water, the Phillies ate up reliever Jason Grilli, too. By the time the inning was over, the Phillies sent 11 men to the plate, scored six runs and turned a 4-4 tie into a 10-4 lead.
In 3 1/3 innings, De La Rosa was charged with seven runs (six earned) on four hits. He fell to 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA.
Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia’s venerable 45-year-old lefty, was vulnerable early, as evidenced by Spilborgh’s homer. The Rockies scored another run off him in the third, string together a Todd Helton single, a double by Spilborghs and a sacrifice fly by Jeff Baker. But that was that. Moyer gave up four runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked just one, improving his record to 5-3.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
