How fitting. In a perverse way.
On the 30th anniversary of Dante Bichette’s walk-off homer in the inaugural game at Coors Field, home runs ruled the day. The problem for the hapless Rockies was that the Reds hit three homers to the Rockies’ two.
And so the beat goes on. Cincinnati won 6-4 on Saturday afternoon, sending the Rockies to their fifth consecutive loss and dropping their season misery index to 4-22.
Colorado joined the 2024 White Sox, ’22 Reds, ’03 Tigers and 1988 Orioles as the only teams in the divisional era (since 1969) to lose at least 22 of their first 26 games.
Cincy’s Noelvi Marte hit a two-run homer off Antonio Senzatela in the second, and Austin Hays stung Senzatela with solo, leadoff homers in the fourth and sixth.
“Outside of the three mistakes I made, when they hit it out of the ballpark, I think I threw good enough,” Senzatela said. “I made mistakes and they hit it out of the ballpark.”
Cincinnati joined a growing list of teams that have the Rockies’ number. The Reds improved to 11-1 over their last 12 games vs. the Rockies, including five straight wins at Coors.
The Reds tacked on two bonus runs in the ninth off reliever Tyler Kinley, who gave up a costly leadoff walk to Jose Trevino, a bloop single to TJ Friedl, an RBI single through the right side by Elly De La Cruz and an RBI infield single to Spencer Steer.
The Rockies staged a mini-rally in the ninth, combining a two-out walk by Nick Martini and an RBI single by rookie second baseman Adael Amador. But it wasn’t enough.
Colorado struck out 13 times. Third baseman Ryan McMahon, the team’s lone All-Star last season, remains in a terrible slump. He went 0 for 4 and his average dipped to .160. Over his last 14 games, he’s 2 for 50 with 25 strikeouts. McMahon’s 40 K’s are the most in the majors.
“We are probably going to give him the day off tomorrow against the lefty,” manager Bud Black said, referring to Reds starter Nick Lodolo. “We’ll let him exhale a little bit. ‘Mac’ is built to play every day, but he’s in a tough spot. He’s ahead of the offspeed (pitches) and behind the fastballs. His timing is off.”
McMahon said he’ll “keep showing up” and be a veteran leader for the younger Rockies.
“We are still searching for answers, and we’re still working on it,” he said. “But I’ve got to start producing, got to start helping the team. I can’t be in the three-hole doing what I’m doing.”
Colorado’s first three runs came via the long ball: a two-run homer by Michael Toglia and a solo shot by Amador.
Amador’s first big-league homer tied the game, 3-3, in the fifth. Amador popped hard-throwing Hunter Greene’s 3-2 slider just over the wall in right field.
“This is a kid’s dream, to hit a homer in the big leagues,” Amador said through interpreter Andy Gonzalez.
After a sluggish start to his season, Toglia is on a bit of a tear. In the second, he ripped Greene’s first-pitch slider 457 feet to right for a two-run homer, tying the game 2-2. Toglia hit 2 for 4 after knocking out three hits on Saturday night.
Senzatela gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out four and walked none. The three homers cost him dearly, and his ERA rose to 5.22. The right-hander has always been a contact pitcher, but teams are hitting .380 against him and he’s served up seven homers in six starts.
“The Reds got the ball up in the air against ‘Senza’ with some strength behind it,” Black said of the three homers.
Hays’ second homer came on a 3-2 fastball up and out of the zone. He still muscled it 429 feet.
“He’s going well,” Black said. “He’s hitting (.386) with a big OPS (1.222), so he’s in a good spot. So, when guys are in that spot, they can do things like that.”
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 2.79 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 3.86)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM
Trending: First baseman Michael Toglia is finally heating up after a sluggish start. He hit 2 for 4 Saturday with a home run and two RBIs. The homer was his first of the season at Coors Field. He has multiple hits in back-to-back games and at least one hit in three straight games for the first time this season. Toglia is slashing .323/.353/.548 with two home runs and 10 RBIs over his last nine games.
Pitching probables
Monday: Braves TBD at Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-4, 9.30), 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Braves RHP Bryce Elder (0-1, 5.57) at Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (1-3, 7.91), 6:40 p.m
— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
