CINCINNATI — Jeremy Guthrie has been a huge disappointment. But it came with a caveat. He was awful at Coors Field and solid on the road. That is, until a humid Saturday at the Reds’ Great American Ball Park.
The combination of sloppy defense and misguided pitches made Guthrie an easy mark for the first-place Reds, who pounded the Rockies 10-3.
Guthrie allowed six runs (two earned) and 10 hits (two homers) in five innings. The Rockies fell to 6-19 when their starting pitcher throws fewer than six innings.
Guthrie is 2-3 with a 5.31 ERA.
Turning point. All you need to know about Guthrie’s performance is that Esmil Rogers began warming up in the fifth inning. What little momentum the Rockies built over the previous two games vanished in a forgettable first frame. The Rockies owned a 1-0 lead against wobbly Reds starter Mike Leake, who couldn’t escape the fourth inning and might be headed to the bullpen with a 5.47 ERA. The Rockies needed a shutdown inning. They have produced just 72 in 109 chances this season. Guthrie, however, was 8-for-9. And then he wasn’t.
Guthrie never recovered after third baseman Jordan Pacheco’s poor throw to first base on leadoff hitter Travis Cozart’s routine groundball. Pacheco was later handcuffed by Brandon Phillips’ double down the line. Guthrie couldn’t cover the mistakes, surrendering a three-run homer to Chris Heisey on a chest-high 92 mph fastball. It was Heisey’s first home run of the season.
On the mound. Yes, Guthrie gave up only two earned runs in his five innings. But he was erratic at best and unreliable at worst, unable to deliver big outs needed from a guy who was acquired to front the rotation. Ryan Ludwick tagged reliever Matt Reynolds for a three-run homer in the seventh inning, putting the game out of reach.
At the plate. Pacheco remains raw at third base, but he continues to hit. He belted two hits in the first six innings, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Even with Chris Nelson (left wrist) eligible to return from the disabled list Thursday, Pacheco is expected to get a large chunk of playing time. Marco Scutaro, who has struggled from the leadoff spot, had two hits and lifted his average to .254.
What it means. The Rockies will attempt to win their first series since May 2 — and on a Sunday, no less. The Rockies have been terrible on Sundays, going 7-25 the last two seasons — including 1-6 this year.
