KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Garth Brooks appeared on the world’s largest high-definition scoreboard in the sixth inning, it was to entertain the crowd.
It came off as a serenade to the Rockies as he and 16,000 stragglers sang “Friends in Low Places.” Just when it appeared safe for Rockies fans to emerge from closets, the club has hit the skids again. Hit is probably the wrong word. Grounded into the skids is more appropriate.
Even with ace Aaron Cook on the mound, the Rockies couldn’t avoid their fifth road sweep, broomed 4-2 Wednesday by the Kansas City Royals.
Colorado provided little resistance against Colorado-born Luke Hochevar, a former star at Fowler High School. The right-hander worked a career-high eight innings, yielding just two earned runs on seven hits. The lone damage came on a Chris Iannetta double in the second and Brad Hawpe’s 10th home run in the seventh.
In between, Hochevar kept the Rockies off balance. He demonstrated a terrific sinker to right-handers, a pitch they repeatedly pounded into the dirt early in counts. Gaining confidence, he mixed in a curveball in the later innings. The Rockies are 9-23 against right-handed pitchers on the road this season. They were outscored in the series 19-9, extending their losing streak to four games.
In many ways, Hochevar looked like Cook at his best. Such was not the case Thursday. The Rockies lost back-to-back starts by the right-hander for only the second time this season. Cook was just slightly off key. He left pitches up while in the stretch, a reminder of last season when he slumped. And he couldn’t finish the Royals when he jumped ahead in the count, particularly with two strikes.
Kansas City scored two runs in the third inning, aided by a pair of errors from Garrett Atkins (throwing) and shortstop Omar Quintanilla (missed bag on force play). Quintanilla started in place of the slumping Troy Tulowitzki (3-for-20).
In the sixth, the Royals chased Cook as Ross Gload, a former Rockie, doubled home two runs down the right-field line.
Joakim Soria closed out Colorado with a dominant ninth inning, blending a 92-mph fastball with a filthy 68-mph curveball. The Rockies have fallen 15 games under .500 entering a weekend series at Detroit.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
