There’s no joy in Mudville. And while we’re on the subject, they aren’t exactly partying in LoDo these days either.
So much for all that early-season karma. The Rockies’ 8-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday was their 16th defeat in 25 games. They have lost five consecutive series overall and four in a row at Coors Field.
“It’s that vicious cycle that we’re in,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “It’s a spell. It’s a period you go through, and we’re going through it. You have to keep your head up and deal with it. It’s that simple.”
“We just can’t do anything right at all right now, from the top to the bottom,” said losing pitcher Jason Hammel. “Our fielding has been good, but our pitching and hitting, it’s kind of hit or miss. You really don’t know what you’re going to get.”
We’re left to wonder when the Rockies’ free fall is going to end, but for now, Sunday will have to suffice for rock bottom. They lost to a pitcher, Mat Latos, who had dropped his past 10 decisions, during which he had compiled an ERA of 6.18.
Oh, and did we mention Tim Lincecum? That was the Rockies’ added bonus from the baseball gods. The Giants’ two-time Cy Young Award winner will pitch against the Rockies tonight after his regularly scheduled start was rained out Sunday in Chicago.
The Rockies are searching for their inner contender and now face “The Freak,” who flirted with a no-hitter last month at Coors Field. Your thoughts, Carlos Gonzalez.
“Today we faced a guy who had been struggling all year and he got his first win of the year against us,” Gonzalez said. “So it doesn’t matter if a guy has 100 wins or zero, we just need to go and play.”
This much is clear about the Rockies’ plight: They’re going to fight their way out of this mess with the same cast of characters. Tracy has no plans to shake up his batting order. And he even preached patience for beleaguered relievers Franklin Morales and Felipe Paulino, who came on in the seventh inning to pour gas on a 4-2 Padres lead.
The Padres arrived in town with a .230 team batting average and the weight of the National League West on top of them. So what happens? They bang out 32 hits in 108 at-bats (.296), including 11-for-30 (.367) with runners in scoring position, and score 24 runs in three games.
One day after scoring four runs in the seventh inning, launching a resounding comeback from a 7-1 deficit, the Padres erupted for five in the seventh. Morales threw one pitch that Will Venable hammered to the gap in left-center for a run-scoring double. Enter Paulino, who promptly served up a two-run double to Jason Bartlett and a run-scoring single to Brad Hawpe.
Not that the bullpen cost the Rockies the game. They had six hits and went hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. With the loss, they fell to 9-10 at Coors Field, where they were nearly invincible last season.
“We’re pretty frustrated right now, obviously,” Hammel said. “We’ve got a good ballclub coming into town and we’ve got to dust ourselves off and get ready to go again. Nobody is going to throw a pity party for us.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
MONDAY: Giants at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., Root
Rockies hitters shrugged it off, but the Giants’ rainout Sunday that moved Tim Lincecum (3-3, 2.11 ERA) into tonight’s slot can’t be considered a good thing. Lincecum flirted with a no-hitter at Coors Field on April 18, finishing with three hits allowed and 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. Rockies right-hander Clayton Mortensen (0-0, 0.55) has been exceptional, allowing six hits in 16 1/3 innings. He will try to solidify his case for staying in the rotation, what with Aaron Cook scheduled to return at the end of the month.
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Upcoming pitching matchups
Tuesday: Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez (3-2, 3.68 ERA) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (0-3, 6.67), 1:10 p.m., Root
Wednesday: Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (5-1, 3.70) vs. Phillies’ Cole Hamels (4-2, 3.19), 5:05 p.m., Root
Thursday: Rockies’ Jhoulys Chacin (4-2, 2.89) vs. Phillies’ Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.50), 5:05 p.m., Root
Friday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (3-3, 3.71) vs. Brewers’ Shaun Marcum (4-1, 2.72), 6:10 p.m., Root
