The Rockies began their road trip a day ahead of schedule.
In a 3-hour, 50-minute game marred by 13 walks, the Rockies lost 8-4 to Arizona Sunday afternoon at Coors Field as their five-game winning streak screeched to a halt.
Also halted was the Rockies’ seven-game winning streak vs. Arizona, as well as their nine-game winning streak at home.
Colorado has been so good at home (43-22) and so bad on the road (14-46). On Sunday, however, the road Rockies inadvertently checked in at 20th and Blake.
Either way, they begin a 10-day, nine-game road trip Monday at Chicago against the Cubs.
A quartet of Diamondback pitchers, led by starter Taylor Widener, limited the Rockies to just five hits. Widener allowed one run on one hit and struck out five over five innings. He also walked five, but the Rockies couldn’t take advantage.
Rockies pitchers, meanwhile, were ineffective. They walked seven, including five in the Diamondbacks’ two-run sixth inning.
“Today was about them nicking our bullpen and us not scoring off of their pitching,” manager Bud Black said. “We didn’t swing the bats great today. It was a little bit of a mystery because their guy was a little bit wild, walking five and hitting a batter. He changed speeds and was around the zone, but we just couldn’t solve him.”
Rockies right-hander Jon Gray needed 108 pitches to steer his way through 5 1/3 innings. Daulton Varsho’s three-run homer in the second inning was the big blow. Varsho also doubled and scored a run in the eighth inning and hit a triple in the ninth, finishing a single short of the cycle.
After Varsho’s homer Gray, who struck out eight, settled in.
Until the ugly sixth.
Gray walked Josh VanMeter and Drew Ellis to open the inning, prompting manager Bud Black to give Gray the hook. Lefty Lucas Gilbreath came on, walking two and forcing in a run. Right-hander Robert Stephenson entered the game and he also walked in a run.
In the 33-minute half-inning, the trip of Colorado pitchers threw 45 pitches, just 20 for strikes.
Gray was charged with five runs on six hits and lost his fourth consecutive game in August, during which he’s posted a 6.75 ERA. Black called Gray’s performance “uneven.” The right-hander was more critical.
“There was only one thing good to take from today’s game,” Gray said, referring to the effectiveness of his curveball. “It was just bad all around, from the get-go and I just didn’t feel good about my rhythm or about my grip.”
Colorado started off just fine, scoring a run in the first when Connor Joe was hit by a pitch and scored on Ryan McMahon’s double. But the Rockies didn’t get another hit until their two-run eighth. Joe led off with a walk, advanced to third on Brendan Rodgers’ hot-shot double that ate up third baseman Drew Ellis and scored on McMahon’s single. Rodgers trotted home on C.J. Cron’s sacrifice fly.
