Rockies’ law — anything that can go wrong, will go wrong — reared its ugly head Tuesday night in Houston.
The Rockies wasted an early 3-0 lead and a two-homer performance by Hunter Goodman in a 7-6 loss to the Astros. Colorado, swept in four games in San Diego, has lost five consecutive games.
Credit Colorado for battling back. Down 7-3 at one point, Troy Johnston’s pinch-hit, RBI single scored a run in the eighth, cutting Houston’s lead to 7-6.
The Astros, swept in Colorado last week, snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Key moments: The Rockies had a chance to win the game in the ninth when TJ Rumfield and Ezequiel Tovar hit back-to-back, two-out, two-strike singles. However, Houston reliever Enyel De Los Santos struck out Jordan Beck looking to end the game.
The killer blow for the Rockies was the third, when Houston scored six runs on four hits, two errors by second baseman Willi Castro, and a balk by starter Michael Lorenezen.
Who’s hot: Goodman blasted two solo home runs, a solo blast in the first and another solo shot in the fifth. The catcher, Colorado’s lone All-Star last season, has four home runs this season. Dating back to last season, 21 of his 35 home runs have been hit on the road.
Starter-turn-reliever Antonio Senzatela pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and has not been scored upon in five outings. He allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out three.
Who’s not: Lorenzen’s struggles continued. He pitched just 2 2/3 innings, and although he was only charged with two earned runs, the Astros plated seven runs against him, including a solo home run by Christian Walker in the second. Lorenzen, who has an 8.10 ERA, was called for a balk in the Astros’ six-run third inning.
Castro not only committed two costly errors in Houston’s big inning and also went 0 for 4 at the plate with three strikeouts. Castro’s strikeout rate is 41.4%.
Worth noting: Left-hander Kyle Freeland, who was a late scratch on Sunday because of a sore shoulder, continues to be evaluated. Manager Warren Scheaffer told reporters in Houston that the club hopes to have an update on Freeland on Wednesday.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.15 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.
Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16) at Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.87), 6:10 p.m.
Friday: Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7:30), 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
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