They trailed the Rangers 4-1, but there was a sliver of hope when Ryan McMahon led off with a double and Hunter Goodman followed with a single. Then, in succession, reliever Shawn Armstrong struck out Michael Toglia, Sean Bouchard and Owen Miller — all looking at strike three.

It was a pull-out-your-hair moment in a pull-out-your-hair season.

Not coincidentally, Bouchard was subsequently optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, and Miller was designated for assignment and is now a free agent. Toglia, the starting first baseman, was recently benched for two games as his strikeouts continued to soar.

Amid what could be the worst season in major league history, Colorado’s offense remains one of the worst in baseball — despite changing managers and hitting coaches. The Rockies’ 26.7% team strikeout rate, tied with the Angels for the highest in the majors, is a significant reason for their ineptitude. Last season, the Rockies struck out a team record 1,617 times, the most in franchise history and the third-most in major league history.

They’re on pace to match, or possibly exceed, that ignominious milestone this season.

“It can’t be an elephant in the room that we aren’t going to talk about,” current bench coach and former big-league manager Clint Hurdle said.

The 2023 Minnesota Twins hold the record for the most strikeouts in a season, with 1,654. But at least they launched the third-most home runs (233) in the majors. Colorado not only whiffs a lot, but it also hits relatively few homers. The Rockies’ 43 this season are the fourth-fewest, and they’re on pace to hit only 139, which would be the fewest for a full season in franchise history.

So, what’s going on? Is it nasty, fire-breathing pitchers? Colorado’s youth movement? A poor approach at the plate? Big, loopy swings? Paralysis by too much analysis? Stubbornness by the players? Money?

How about all of the above?

Whatever the reasons, Hurdle knows the Rockies must cut down on the Ks.

“Bottom line, I don’t think there is enough angst in the game about striking out,” he said. “I see it in our men, as a group. If you punch out 12 times in a game, you have watched the pitcher and catcher play catch in front of your dugout for four innings. Now you’re asking yourself to beat the other team with five innings of offensive baseball.”

In their last road trip, the Rockies struck out 14 times in three separate games over a four-game span, including a 1-0 loss at Arizona when one or two key hits would have changed the outcome.

Yet interim manager Warren Schaeffer continues to preach optimism, persistence and patience.

“Having 14 Ks? There will never be an excuse for me, in terms of the pitching that we are seeing that game,” he said. “Because this is the big leagues and we are going to see good pitching every night.”

Hurdle has spent his baseball life studying and teaching hitting. He spent five-plus seasons as Colorado’s hitting coach before being promoted to manager in 2002. He managed the club through May 2009, was the Rangers’ hitting coach in 2010, managed the Pirates from 2011-2019, and returned to the Rockies organization in 2022 as an administrative assistant.

Eighteen games into this season, he replaced Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens as Colorado’s hitting coach. When manager Bud Black was fired on May 11, he was promoted to bench coach, but he remains integral to the Rockies’ attempts to reduce their strikeouts.

Hurdle understands the various reasons for the league-wide strikeout epidemic. But when it comes to the Rockies, he believes it’s because they’ve been lacking a team-wide offensive approach. He gets fired up about the topic.

“No. 1, you have to try to get the guys to buy into a team concept,” he said. “You have one through nine hitters in your lineup. Some hitters are more gifted than others, some hitters have power, some don’t.

“Honest self-evaluation is the thing that’s most lacking for me because everybody thinks there’s a little launch angle in their swing, thinks there can be a little added air in their swing.”

So, rather than moving baserunners over or simply making contact, too many players swing and come up empty, Hurdle says. A high OPS — on-base percentage, plus slugging percentage — is the contemporary hitter’s Holy Grail.

Chasing it can sometimes lead to lots of Ks.

“At this level, we pay them for OPS,” Hurdle said. “Whether you like it or not, that messaging gets all the way down to the minors. I’ve worked enough (youth baseball) showcases the last few years, and I see young hitters, who aren’t even developed, working the barrel — uphill! I don’t think that puts you in the best position to be a good hitter.”

Strikeouts have been rising in the majors for years. In 2005, 16.4% of plate appearances ended in strike three. That number rose every season until 2020, when it peaked at 23.4%. Currently, the big-league strikeout rate is 21.9%.

Rockies veteran catcher Jacob Stallings, 35, points to several factors for the strikeout boom. No. 1, of course, is the pitchers’ firepower. The average velocity of a major league fastball in 2008 was 91.3 mph. Last season, it was 94.2 mph.

“It’s never been more difficult to hit,” Stallings said. “It’s not just that almost everybody throws 95 mph-plus fastballs now, but their breaking stuff has never been better. You’re liable to see a nasty pitch in any count.”

Stallings agrees with Hurdle that power pays. It always has. As a teammate once told Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, singles hitters drive Fords.” But now, more than ever, slugging gets players more money.

“Guys know that they will get a better contract with a higher slugging percentage and a higher OPS,” he said. “That’s just the way the game has evolved.”

Third baseman Ryan McMahon, Colorado’s lone All-Star last season, has a 30.8% K rate this season, sixth-highest in the majors and second-highest on the club behind Toglia’s 38.6% rate (highest in the majors). McMahon says he understands that the Rockies must reduce their empty at-bats.

“I know that growing up, and in the generations before me, not striking out was harped on a lot,” he said. “It’s changed a little bit. Guys are more concerned with power and for good reasons. The numbers show that those home runs win games. So if you are going to get out, it doesn’t matter if you strike out or ground out.

“But I do know that striking out less is something we need to work on. We need to shorten our swings and put the ball in play more. We need to chase less.”

Easier said than done. The Rockies’ inexperience and lack of talent on the roster are part of the equation and reflected in the inside numbers.

The Rockies’ chase rate — the proportion of swings on pitches out of the strike zone — is 31.0%. That’s the highest in the majors, according to Baseball Savant. It’s only slightly improved from Colorado’s 31.8% chase rate from last season.

Plus, the Rockies are relatively inefficient at hitting balls within the strike zone. Their 80.3% contract rate on pitches in the zone is the second lowest behind Seattle (79.8%).

Rockies TV analyst Cory Sullivan, who played six seasons in the majors (four with Colorado), believes some of the younger players get tangled up with analytics, especially “certain-count frequency pitches.”

“That means that hitters study the pitchers and see that a pitcher, 60% of the time in 2-2 counts, throws a curveball,” Sullivan explained. “So, guys see that, and they’re given that information, so they sit on a curveball and then get a fastball right down the middle.

“I think sometimes the data-driven stat gives you a predictive pitch, and instead of sticking with an overall solid approach, they overcommit to a pitch. That’s why, I think, you see a lot more guys taking a fastball for strike three.”

The question facing the Rockies is how to kick their K habit. Schaeffer insists it’s a point of emphasis.

“There are a few things to that,” he said. “Battling with two strikes, fouling pitches off, being relentless with two strikes. But also, earlier in the count, in the zone, we need to put the ball in play more often, so we don’t get to two strikes. We are making progress.”

A little bit, anyway. In their first 18 games when Meulens was the hitting coach, the Rockies’ strikeout rate was 29.6%. In the 32 games since, it dropped to 25%.

And there have been individual success stories. Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar led the majors with 200 strikeouts last season (with a 28.8% K rate), setting a franchise record for the most strikeouts in a season. Tovar missed a month earlier this season because of a bruised hip, but he’s reduced his strikeout rate to 17.5% and is hitting .289 in 22 games.

In 2023, Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle hit .203, and his 34.9% strikeout rate was the worst in the majors. He reworked and simplified his swing during the offseason, and hit .260 last season with 23 homers while reducing his K rate to 25.4%. Though his average has slumped to .219 this season, and he’s hit only four homers in 41 games, Doyle has whittled his strikeout percentage to 23.5.

“My adjustments were definitely a little bit of both — mechanical and a mindset,” Doyle said. “My main goal was to simplify things as much as I could. I wanted to keep my body more quiet and allow my eyes to work a little bit better. I didn’t want to make my swing to get too big. That was the main thing that helped me.”

So did experience.

“My rookie year, in ’23, there was a lot of learning as you go,” he said. “I’ve been able to slow things down a little bit more, get a game plan together. Now, I’ve faced a lot of those pitchers before and that helped me a lot.”

The Phillies just swept the Rockies in four games at Coors Field. Philly has a 20.1% K rate (seventh lowest) while hitting .263 (third highest) with 53 homers (16th most). Hurdle hoped the Rockies were paying attention.

“This game has evolved to where we are doing a lot more swinging than hitting,” he said. “There’s a big difference between swinging and hitting, and that’s what we’re trying to get them to understand.

“You need good individual at-bats, but this is still a team game; you still need a team approach. Most good teams, like the Phillies, are able to do both. Hopefully, that visual will help us develop into the best versions of ourselves.”

Work in Progress

The Rockies fired hitting coach Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens 18 games into the season as the offense struggled. They replaced him with veteran manager/hitting coach Clint Hurdle, who has since been promoted to bench coach. The change resulted in some progress (through Thursday) :

Rockies strikeout rates

Source: FanGraphs (click here to view chart in mobile)

It was a CD of Bob Dylan’s classic album “Blood on the Tracks.” Hughes remembers the gesture as if it happened yesterday.

“People say I’m an old soul because I listen to Bob Dylan,” said Hughes, “Well, Warren’s an old soul because he listens to Dylan, too.

“Warren’s a Renaissance man. There is so much more to him than a guy in a baseball uniform. He’s self-taught on the guitar. He’s intellectual, he’s curious, and he cares about everything. And he knows baseball.”

Schaeffer left quite an impression, especially considering he played just one season under Hughes.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and I know not to put superlatives on people,” said Hughes, now in his 28th season as a head college baseball coach. “You hear people say, ‘Oh, this guy was the best player,’ or, ‘This guy was the best worker.’

“But Warren Schaffer was the hardest worker I have ever been around on a baseball field — to this day. I can easily put that stamp on Warren. I’m not surprised by where he is now.”

Now, Schaeffer is the Rockies’ interim manager. The 40-year-old was thrown into the breach when longtime manager Bud Black was fired last week. Schaeffer took over a team that entered the weekend with a 7-36 record and on pace to lose more games than any team in major league history.

A lose-lose scenario, you might be thinking? Think again, say those who know him. In their mind, there is nothing “interim” about Schaeffer.

“His communication skills are top-notch,” said Rockies outfielder Sean Bouchard, who played for Schaeffer at Triple-A Albuquerque.

“He personifies what it means to be a leader because of his demeanor and how straightforward he is,” said Josh Suchon, the Isotopes’ play-by-play broadcaster.

“If there is one guy I’d want to build my team and my culture around, it would be Warren,” Hughes said.

Warren’s father, Jim Schaeffer, added, “His strength of character, more than anything else, will help him succeed. He genuinely cares about his players and wants to see them do well, as players and as people.”

But Schaeffer’s big-league chance is not some here-today, gone-tomorrow kumbaya baseball moment.

“There’s never a lot of screaming, but he’s intense,” said his father, an option quarterback at Pennsylvania’s Division III Allegheny College. “Warren hates losing, but he keeps hoping.”

Schaeffer was born and raised in Vandergrift, Pa., a former steel mill town. He attended Greensburg Central Catholic High School. As a senior, he hit .554, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him its East Player of the Year. Harvard and Princeton recruited him, but he chose to chase his baseball dreams at Virginia Tech.

He was a starting shortstop all four seasons for the Hokies, slashing .292/.351/.402 as a senior. Colorado, hoping for a diamond in the rough, selected him with the 1,143rd overall pick. He was a college senior with a degree in history and a minor in English, with dreams of playing in the majors. He signed for $1,000.

But Schaeffer never made it. He climbed as high as Triple-A, playing for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 2010-11. Overall, he slashed .214/.273/.285 in 461 minor league games, with nine home runs and 137 RBIs. He was all field, little hit.

“If you talk to my wife, Karen, she’ll still tell you that he could have been a major league player,” Jim Schaeffer said with a laugh. “She’ll watch a game now and say, ‘Oh, Warren could have made that play.’ I’ll say, ‘Karen, that was a long time ago.’

“But she’s never quite let that go. She’s always believed in him.”

Her son knew better.

“To be honest with you, in my opinion, I wasn’t a very good player,” Schaeffer said. “The way I look at it, everything I learned in the minors was preparing me to coach.

“When I hung up the cleats after the 2012 season, I never looked back. I never once wished I had played again. It was such a grind for me to play. I was married to Callie; we had no money. It was time to be an adult and move on.”

Jim Schaeffer often told his son to pursue a career that affected others.

“My dad was always my inspiration,” Schaeffer said. “I thought baseball and teaching would allow me to do that.”

The Rockies saw something special.

“The Rockies kept a short list of players they wanted to stay on and become coaches,” Jim Schaeffer said. “Warren was one of those guys.”

Schaeffer’s first gig was as the hitting coach for Short-Season Tri-City (Pasco, Wash.) in 2013. He kept climbing the organizational ladder. He managed the Asheville Tourists from 2015 through 2017 and Double-A Hartford in 2018 and ’19.

He was tabbed to manage Triple-A Albuquerque for the 2020 season, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He managed the Isotopes in 2021-22. In November 2022, the Rockies promoted him to their major league coaching staff as third base and infield coach for the 2023 season.

“I just thought he was ready,” Black said then. “He brings in a good combination of experience, but also some youthful energy. Plus, he already has a relationship with some of the guys on our big-league team.”

Bouchard has played for Schaeffer in the minors and the big leagues. He thinks his new manager has the right stuff.

“He sets a high standard,” Bouchard said. “That’s what the guys need. That’s what he brings. At the same time, he understands how hard this game is. The focus and attention to detail are something he demands. He’s told us to hold each other accountable.”

Suchon, the broadcaster, got to know Schaeffer well during their time together with the Isotopes. Suchon was impressed with how the manager worked to balance his life.

Schaeffer read, listened to music, studied scouting reports and worked out as if he were still playing. Mike Redmond, the former Rockies bench coach who was fired along with Black, used to tease Schaeffer, saying, “You can’t coach third base in the bigs until you have a third base coach’s paunch.”

“Warren’s family would sometimes come on the road with him,” Suchon recalled. “I’d see him with his kids (Beauman and Emerson) in the swimming pool. He didn’t just sit by the side of the pool, watching them. He’d be in the pool for a couple of hours with them, swimming, throwing them up in the air. They were having the time of their lives.”

But in July 2021, the Isotopes were having a miserable time. They were mired in a rut, losing nine of 11 games. Suchon, however, got a peek into Schaffer’s leadership qualities during that tough stretch.

“We were in Las Vegas, and we hadn’t played well. We lost a series of heartbreakers,” Suchon recalled. “Somebody forgot the infield fly rule, and it cost us the game. We had a couple of bullpen meltdowns.

“But the next morning, on the bus to the airport, Warren was in the customary first seat on the bus. He was not reading. He was not on his phone. He said hello and had a fist-bump for everybody. After this gut-wrenching stretch of baseball, he was positive. That stood out to me.”

When Schaeffer found out he was succeeding Black, he immediately called his dad and the two had a heart-to-heart.

“Karen and I were thrilled for him,” Jim said. “We had an emotional talk. He knew — we knew — he was going to be entering a tough situation. We also know it’s an opportunity and a chance.”

Schaeffer is not Pollyannish about the state of the Rockies. He knows the team has entered the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He shrugs it off.

“The wins will come if we build our culture, moving forward,” he said. “I’m not worried about the national media. I don’t pay attention.”

He does care what the Rockies’ fans think. He understands they’re ticked off by seven consecutive years of losing.

“Rightfully so,” he said. “Because they want to see a good product on the field. They deserve that. One of my goals is to do that, with a day-to-day plan, moving forward. I feel like, moving forward, this thing can get rolling. I’m a big believer.”

In their second game under interim manager Warren Schaeffer, the Rockies’ offense was once again a no-show in a 4-1 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night at Globe Field. Schaeffer was named interim manager on Sunday when Bud Black was fired.

The Rockies slid to 7-35, keeping pace for the worst start in major league history. Colorado is tied with the 1932 Red Sox for the worst record after 42 games. The 1928 Phillies and 1988 Orioles were 8-34 after 42 games.

The Rockies threatened in the ninth when Ryan McMahon led off with a double and Hunter Goodman followed with a single, but reliever Shawn Armstrong struck out Michael Toglia, Sean Bouchard and Owen Miller — all looking.

“We brought the tying run to the plate there in the ninth and the boys fought,” Schaeffer told reporters in Arlington, Texas. “(With) the one run on the scoreboard you might not think that, but our guys fought. I thought there was grind and grit there.”

But Colorado’s been haunted by a recurring theme all season: putting runners on base but failing to put the ball in play. The Rockies went 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night and their RISP average for the season is .205, trailing only the Orioles (.189).

Third baseman Josh Jung gave the Rangers all the runs they needed, hitting a three-run homer in the first and a solo blast in the seventh.

Texas veteran right-hander Jack Leiter pitched six innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He needed just 89 pitches.

“Leiter was really good tonight and our hitters had a tough time with him,” Schaeffer said. “He landed the off-speed (pitches) early and they were in play tonight. That was some nasty stuff.”

Colorado lefty Kyle Freeland survived a rugged first inning and went on to pitch a solid six innings, giving his club a chance to snare a rare road victory. Nothing doing. The Rockies slipped to 2-19 on the road, the worst start in franchise history away from Colorado.

Freeland is in the running for the least-supported pitcher award. He entered the game having received 10 total runs of support in his first eight starts, a 2.29 run-support average that was the fifth lowest in the majors.

Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the first on Hunter Goodman’s RBI single off Leiter to drive in Jordan Beck, who reached on a one-out single and stole second base. But from that point on? Crickets — until Michael Toglia hit a leadoff single in the seventh, and until the ultimately empty mini-rally in the ninth.

Five pitches into his start, Freeland was staring at a 3-1 deficit. Rangers leadoff hitter Sam Haggery ambushed Freeland’s first pitch of the game into center field for a single. Wyatt Lanford ripped Freeland’s fourth pitch into right field for a single. Jung hammered the fifth pitch 386 feet for a three-run homer to right-center.

But the gritty Freeland, as he often does, buckled down. He blanked Texas for the next five innings, allowing just three hits. Nonetheless, he’s now 0-6 with a 6.15 ERA.

“The first three hitters, Kyle’s fastball command wasn’t there, but then he settled in and made a nice quality start,” Schaeffer said.  “After the first inning, I think the heater and the curveball both worked for him. The command was better. It looked to be like he calmed down a bit and then he took over from there.”

Pitching matchup

Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-6, 5.77 ERA) at Rangers LHP Patrick Corbin (2-2, 3.13)

6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Globe Life 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: Road woes are nothing new to the Rockies, but this season has been a disaster. Colorado entered Tuesday night with a 2-18 mark on the road, the worst start in franchise history. With their 2-1 loss to the Rangers on Monday night, the Rockies became the sixth team in the modern era (since 1901) to lose 18 of their first 20 road games, joining the 1904 Senators, 1961 Angels, 1988 Orioles, 2005 Astros and 2006 Royals. The Rockies were slashing .189/.249/.286 in their 20 games on the road, ranking 30th among all teams in those categories.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day

Friday: Rockies TBA at Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes (2-1, 2.95), 7:40 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

It’s part of who he is. Schaeffer’s DNA includes sweat equity, discipline, routine, attention to detail and passion. That’s why, when many others see the Rockies and their 7-34 record as the majors’ unholy mess, Schaeffer has a far different take.

“This is an opportunity,” he said Tuesday during a phone interview before the Rockies played the Rangers.

Schaeffer, 40, wasn’t just talking about his career opportunity, but about the team’s chance to turn around a dismal season.

“If the Rockies, as an organization, doesn’t look at this as an opportunity to move forward, we’re missing out,” he said. “I look at it like this — and I want the boys to look at it like this, too — every day is a day where you show up to work and we can move the ball forward.”

Monday night, in Schaeffer’s first game at the helm, Colorado lost, 2-1, to the Rangers. Despite another loss, Schaeffer was encouraged.

“I thought we played a fantastic game,” Schaeffer said. “That’s something to build on. Now, if we can stack tonight on top of that, and then again tomorrow, and then the day after, and so forth, then we’ll move forward. But that’s a decision that the players have to make every single day. The wins will come if that’s what we are collectively building.”

The Rockies’ third base and infield coach since 2023, Schaeffer took over as manager for Bud Black on Sunday when Black was fired after eight-plus seasons in Colorado.

Before that, he’d spent his career in the Rockies’ farm system as a player, coach and manager.

Several current Rockies players, including two-time Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle, Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, and reserve outfielder Sean Bouchard, played under Schaeffer at Triple-A Albuquerque. Schaeffer received glowing reviews.

Asked if Schaeffer was the right man to try to reverse the Rockies’ downward spiral, Doyle was direct. “One hundred percent. We need somebody like him to take charge and really help us get turned around.”

Bouchard, who played 69 games under Schaeffer in 2022, is a fan.

“The first things that come to my mind are work ethic, energy and humbleness,” Bouchard said. “For as long as I have known him, he’s always been one of the hardest-working coaches. ‘Schaeff’s’ work ethic and energy are incredibly infectious.”

Nonetheless, Schaffer’s golden opportunity comes with tremendous obstacles. Colorado entered Tuesday night tied with the 1988 Orioles, 1932 Red Sox and 1928 Phillies for worst start in the Modern Era (since 1901).

Through Monday, Colorado had been outscored by 129 runs, the second-worst run differential through 40 games since 1900, with only the 2023 Oakland Athletics worse at minus-144. Colorado’s .218 batting average and .642 OPS both rank third from the bottom, with its 5.69 team ERA being the second-highest.

While owner Dick Monfort predicted in February that the Rockies had a chance to have one of the best defenses “in the history of the game,” the Rockies currently have one of the worst defenses in the majors, ranking 28th in defensive runs saved across all positions. Colorado’s .976 fielding percentage was the worst in the majors, while its 36 errors were the second-most.

The club has been without Tovar (hip bruise) since April 16 and new second baseman Thairo Estrada (broken wrist) has yet to suit up. But Schaeffer doesn’t use injuries as an excuse. And he vowed that the defense would improve.

“Up until two days ago, I was in charge of the infield defense and I will take full responsibility for that,” he said. “We work hard every single day, but I’m not going to make any excuses at all for our defense because I expect it to be better. I don’t care if ‘Tovie’ is hurt, guys are more than capable of stepping in there.”

Schaeffer predicts that Colorado’s avalanche of bad baseball is nearing its end.

“When things are going bad, which they have been, there is a tendency for a lot to go bad,” he said. “I think that’s what we’ve seen in the first 41 games. That being said, we have every intention of moving forward.”

So, once again, the Rockies came up short, losing 13-9 to the Padres on Friday in front of 30,490 fans at Coors Field on a perfect spring night.

Colorado lost its seventh consecutive game and fell to 6-32, matching the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the worst 38-game start in Major League Baseball’s Modern ERA (since 1901).

The Rockies pounded out a season-high 16 hits and made the Padres, owners of one of the majors’ best bullpens, squirm. In the middle of the eighth, the Rockies trailed 13-2 before igniting a patented Coors Field rally.

“We showed no quit right there, and hopefully we can build off that momentum,” third baseman Ryan McMahon said. “I think that was big for us, to have some success and go out there and put some good at-bats together.”

Colorado scored five in the eighth, keyed by a two-run double by Kyle Farmer and a two-run single by Brenton Doyle.

In a two-run ninth, Colorado got an RBI triple from catcher Hunter Goodman and a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak, and San Diego was forced to bring in closer Robert Suarez. He induced Sean Bouchard to ground into a double play to end the craziness.

“The guys got rewarded with some good swings there late, some good at-bats, we hit some balls on the barrel,” manager Bud Black said. “They kept going, and we talked as the later innings went on … let’s try to make them bring in their closer.”

But once again, bad starting pitching and porous defense hurt the Rockies. They have allowed at least eight runs in five consecutive games, tied for the longest such streak in franchise history. And, with three errors Friday night, they have committed eight errors over their last three games, their most in a three-game span since committing eight errors from Sept. 16-18, 2003.

One play symbolized the Rockies’ season of discontent.

In the sixth inning, with Manny Machado perched on third base, San Diego’s Xander Bogaerts hit a flyball to Doyle in center. Doyle loaded up and rocketed the ball to the plate. The throw was a little wide, but Goodman caught the ball and attempted a sweeping tag of Machado at the plate. It was a terrific, bang-bang play — except the Goodman dropped the ball when his glove hit the sliding Machado.

Machado scored, Goodman shook his head, and the Padres’ lead increased to 12-1.

San Diego scored a season-high 13 runs on a season-high 16 hits, their most runs at Coors since also scoring 13 on Sept. 25, 2022.

And so it goes in LoDo.

But there were rays of light for Colorado.

In the fourth, Michael Toglia hit a one-out solo homer off Padres starter Randy Vasquez. Toglia’s fifth homer snapped the Rockies’ 32-inning scoreless streak against San Diego, the longest such streak in franchise history. Colorado’s drought extended back to its final two innings vs. the Padres last season and included a three-game set in San Diego earlier this season when Colorado failed to score a run.

McMahon led off the sixth with a solo homer to right off Vasquez,  McMahon’s fifth home run. He finished the night 3 for 5. After a terrible slump, the third baseman is starting to heat up. Over his last eight games, McMahon is hitting .407 (11 for 27) with three homers, two doubles and a triple.

In the eighth, Jordan Beck hit another solo homer, a 428-foot blast to right-center off Sean Reynolds. Beck’s six homers lead the team.

On a night when the Rockies managed just three runs and committed three errors, they dearly needed a strong start from veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela against the Padres’ loaded lineup. They didn’t get it.

The Padres rapped out nine hits and scored eight runs (four earned) off Senzatela in 4 2/3 innings. Senzatela’s ERA climbed to 5.77, and opponents are hitting .382 against him.

San Diego opened the game with three straight singles to take a 1-0 lead. It could have been worse for Senzatela, but fortunately for him, Bogaerts screeched a line drive to Toglia at first base, who turned it into a double play.

San Diego broke out with a four-run third, taking advantage of Farmer’s error at short to open the inning. The Padres’ five-run fifth inning was highlighted by catcher Martin Maldonado’s two-run homer to left off reliever Jimmy Herget.

Pitching matchup

Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 0.0 ERA) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blaylock (0-1, 8.03)

6:10 p.m. Saturday, 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: With 24 innings pitched entering Friday night’s game, right-hander Angel Chivilli led the majors in relief innings. He pitched a career-high 3 2/3 innings in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader vs. Detroit.

Pitching probables

Sunday: Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-1, 2.01) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-6, 9.90), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (2-3, 7.71) at Rangers Tyler Mahle (3-1, 1.48), 6:05 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

Rookie starter Chase Dollander, pitching with a bloody middle finger, baffled the Braves, and rookie reliever Zach Agnos shut them down for his first career save as the Rockies finally discovered a winning formula.

Their 2-1, white-knuckle victory over Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field snapped an eight-game losing streak and closed out a miserable April with a desperately needed W.

Colorado’s pitching quartet of Dollander, Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Agnos limited the Braves to just three hits.

“That’s what it takes; it was a hard-fought win,” manager Bud Black said. “Usually, to get a W when you’re not scoring runs, it takes a strong pitching performance. So, four guys did it.”

Still, history’s dark shadow looms as the Rockies head to San Francisco for a four-game series beginning Thursday.

Colorado’s 5-25 start to the season is tied with the 2003 Tigers for the second-worst 30-game start to a season in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1901). The 1988 Orioles, who lost 21 straight to open that season, were 4-26 in their first 30 games.

Dollander went toe-to-toe with Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner. Dollander, 23, wrapped his arms around the challenge and welcomed the chance to halt Colorado’s misery.

“One-hundred percent,” said Dollander, who departed the game with two outs in the sixth inning because of a cracked fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

“I prepared a lot for this start, knowing I had to give the team a good few innings,” Dollander continued. “I was really happy with how I prepared for this start and I’m really happy with (the start).”

Brenton Doyle‘s one-out, solo homer off Sale in the third inning turned out to be the game-winning swing. Doyle rocketed the veteran lefty’s 1-1 fastball 421 feet and into the left-field bleachers. Doyle has been dealing with injuries and personal matters.

“It’s no secret that the past week has been kind of rough for me, since coming back,” said Doyle, who snapped a 0-for-20 skid with his fourth homer of the season. “We definitely needed this win, as a team. Sale is a heck of a pitcher and to get it against him, on a getaway day, going to another series, is a good momentum boost for us.”

Dollander was pulled from the game with two outs in the sixth because of his injured finger.

“It was cracked, it was bleeding,” Black said, adding that Dollander’s walks to Austin Riley and Matt Olson in the sixth inning were red flags.

“That was a tough decision,” Black continued. “(Dollander) told me, ‘I’m good.’ Those are some of the toughest decisions a manager has to make. I mean, you believe in the guy, but he’s bleeding and he has a cracked fingernail. I know well enough after seeing a guy shaking his hand after a couple of pitches that he’s not where he needs to be.”

Making his fifth career start, Dollander allowed just two singles, struck out four and walked three.

“I was pleased with my curveball today,” Dollander said.

A leadoff walk to Drake Baldwin cost Dollander in the third. Nick Allen followed with a single to right, advancing Baldwin to third. Baldwin scored on Michael Harris’ groundout to second.

Third baseman Ryan McMahon‘s diving stop and perfect throw to first on Allen’s hot shot down the line saved a run in the fifth for Colorado. Dollander clapped McMahon on the back and walked with him off the diamond.

“I said, ‘Thank you to him,’ ” Dollander said. “That probably saved a run. Like I always say, it’s a team effort, it’s never just me.”

The Rockies got to Sale in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Hunter Goodman singled up the middle and Michael Toglia‘s double to left sent Goodman to third. Sean Bouchard’s single to short scored Goodman.

Sale had pitched in relief at Coors but had never started at the hitter-friendly ballpark. The lefty was excellent: seven innings, two runs allowed on five hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts. He punched out Jordan Beck and McMahon three times each.

McMahon went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and his hitless streak grew to 34 at-bats, the longest hitless streak by a position player in franchise history, surpassing Desi Relaford’s 33 at-bat streak from June 28-July 21, 2005. In his last 17 games, McMahon is hitting 2 for 58 (.034) with 28 strikeouts.

The 24-year-old slugging left fielder hit two home runs — he has five dingers in his last three games — and brought the Rockies to the brink of victory on a raw, drizzly Friday night at Coors Field.

Beck’s 437-foot solo shot off Tony Santillan in the eighth inning pulled Colorado to within a run. But it wasn’t enough as the Reds held on for an 8-7 win.

On a night when the Rockies’ offense finally heated up, pitching let them down, sending them to a fourth consecutive loss that left them with a 4-21 record. Colorado joined the 2022 Reds (3-22) as the only clubs in National League history to lose at least 21 of their first 25 games.

Beck, however, has turned things around after a tuneup at Triple-A.

“It’s a huge (confidence boost),” said Beck, who hit his first career homer at Coors. “I had a time in the minors when I kind of felt like this, too. It’s just about seeing how long you can do it, and keeping the same routine every day. Then keep stacking days.”

Said manager Bud Black: “Jordan’s been aggressive and he’s getting to the fastball. Tonight he (hit) a breaking ball, too, but I think it starts with commitment to the fastball.”

Cincinnati broke a 6-6 stalemate in the seventh, scoring two runs on one hit, a hit by pitch, three costly walks, and a throwing error by third baseman Ryan McMahon. Rockies veteran lefty Scott Alexander issued a base-loaded walk to Blake Dunn to score Spencer Steer with the go-ahead run. TJ Friedl followed with an RBI groundout to first to score Santiago Espinal from third.

At least the Rockies’ stalled offense finally got in gear. In addition to Beck’s two homers, Hunter Goodman doubled twice and walked twice, and Michael Toglia went 3 for 5 and delivered two clutch hits.

“Hopefully, this is a little momentum for Mike,” Toglia said. “I know that he’s constantly working to get out of this funk. I’m not sure, specifically, if there is anything distinct (that he’s done).”

In a three-run third inning that tied the game 3-3, the Rockies put together the kind of inning that has eluded them most of the season. Beck led off with a 404-foot homer to left off lefty starter Andrew Abbott.

Sean Bouchard dumped a single to right, Goodman and Mickey Moniak drew walks to load the bases for Toglia, who came to the plate with a .154 average with runners in scoring position. He came through with a two-out, two-run, ground-rule double to left center.

The Rockies rallied again with two runs in the fifth, tying the game 6-6. Doubles by Goodman and Jacob Stallings, Toglia’s RBI single and a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Brenton Doyle got Colorado back in the game.

Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland made his 206th career start, tying him with Aaron Cook for the most in franchise history. It was a forgettable start, partly Freeland’s own doing and partly misfortune.

“There was a good amount of (misfortune), but I wasn’t as sharp as I could be tonight — at all,” Freeland said. “But there was a lot of stuff that got through holes and a lot of weak contact. It kind of felt like I got dinked and dunked in some places and then gave up some hard hits.”

Freeland gave up a season-high six runs on a season-high 10 hits, including a two-run homer to Steer in the Reds’ three-run third.

Several of the Reds’ hits were seeing-eye singles. In Cincinnati’s two-run fifth, Espinal squeaked an RBI single past second baseman Adael Amador, who tried to avoid contact with the Reds’  Noelvi Marte, who was running from first to second.

Amador should have gone directly for the ball, and if Marte ran into him, Marte would have been called out for obstruction.

“I haven’t looked at (the play), but in real time it looked as though Amador might have swerved a touch and might not have gotten a good read on the ball,” Black said. “It’s (his) right to go for the ball.”

Saturday’s pitching matchup

Reds RHP Hunter Greene (2-2, 2.35 ERA) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-3, 4.81)

1:10 p.m. Saturday, 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: Rockies relievers entered Friday night’s game with a 2.03 ERA and 46 strikeouts, while limiting opponents to a .201 batting average, over the last 13 games. That was the fourth-lowest bullpen ERA in the majors over that span.

Pitching probables

Sunday: Reds LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 2.79) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 3.86), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Braves TBD at Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-4, 9.30), 6:40 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

An apt description of what transpired Saturday afternoon at Coors Field.

The last team standing was the Washington Nationals, who hung on to win, 12-11.

Despite signs of life from their hitherto dormant offense, the Rockies lost their seventh straight. They own a 3-16 record, the worst 19-game start in franchise history.

In the ninth, Colorado had the tying run at third in Mickey Moniak, who had tripled home Hunter Goodman. But the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan struck out Jordan Beck looking to close out the crazy affair. Colorado struck out 17 times, tying a franchise record for the most strikeouts in a home game.

Washington led 12-2 when the Rockies came to the plate in the seventh. Three hits, three walks and two hit batters later, the Rockies trailed 12-10. Colorado’s big blows were a two-run triple by leadoff hitter Sean Bouchard and a three-run triple by Beck that left fielder Alex Call misplayed. Bases-loaded walks by Goodman and Moniak pushed across two runs in the inning.

Chase Dollander, touted as Colorado’s potential future ace, continues to get hurt by the long ball. The right-hander gave up four home runs in four innings as his ERA ballooned to 7.36. Dollander was charged with nine runs (six earned) on seven hits. In three starts, he’s been tagged for eight homers.

Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer on a cutter up in the zone in the second inning. Josh Bell hit a solo homer in the fourth on a 97 mph, 0-1 fastball that Dollander again left up in the zone. Later in the fourth, James Wood mashed a three-run homer on another fastball left up.

In the fifth, Crews mashed a two-run homer on another misplaced fastball.

Dollander said he knows he can’t make mistakes like that at the big-league level.

“I knew that coming in,” Dollander said. “Obviously, these hitters are different than minor league hitters. They get paid for a reason. I just missed my spot a few times. If you do that more than once in a game, they are going to take advantage of it.”

Black knows that Dollander has talent, but he also knows that the rookie has a lot to learn.

“In a school of hard knocks, he’ll learn that location is a premium,” Black said. “Some intended pitches didn’t get to the spot. He’ll be fine, he’ll have a fine career, but he’ll learn the importance of fastball location and the ability to keep the ball down, overall.”

Meanwhile, Colorado’s strikeout woes continued. Of the Rockies’ 17 K’s, 13 came at the hands of Washington lefty MacKenzie Gore, who limited the Rockies to two runs on four hits over six innings. Michael Toglia and Aaron Shunk led the whiff parade with three strikeouts each.

“He wasn’t leaving a lot of pitches on the dish,” Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon said of Gore’s performance. “It’s an elite heater.”

Moniak, who hit a two-run homer off Gore in the second, drove in four runs for Colorado.

The two teams play a split doubleheader on Sunday, with the second game serving as the makeup for Friday’s game, which was snowed out.

On a sun-splashed Thursday at Coors Field, with fans’ growing apathy reflected in the 18,593 paid attendance, they toppled the Brewers 7-2.

It was a victory that masked the ugliness of the first month.

Losing the first two home series of the season should qualify as shameful. For the Rockies, this is normal, the 3-9 start fitting in with a 3-9 mark last year and a 20-loss April in 2023.

That alone is reason to remain disgusted with this team. But worse, the Rockies possess a quality that most professional organizations avoid like gas station sushi: They make players soft.

Has there ever been a pro team in our city more comfortable losing?

This is why what I unearthed in the postgame clubhouse offered a morsel of hope. We want the players to care, to show that they are no longer treating Coors Field as a 4A minor league weigh station, that they realize results matter.

Ryan McMahon wants to be part of the solution if this team ever gets good again. He gets it.

Filling the leadership void created by Charlie Blackmon’s retirement, he spoke to the team after Wednesday’s 17-2 ear boxing by the Brewers, a travesty that featured four errors and a flammable bullpen.

“I am not really a loud guy. I am more of a one-to-one guy. When there are times that something needs to be said, I won’t be afraid to say it,” McMahon said. “Most of the time, it����ap how you react in baseball and life. I think the guys took the message well.”

For way too long, too many players have been just happy to be here, and even more have been here only because the Rockies are the worst team in the National League.

The Rockies are on pace for a third consecutive 100-loss season, and there is no reason to suggest any moves will happen. Owner Dick Monfort values loyalty over competence. Patience over consequence.

This is what happens when a franchise operates in a vacuum, shakes its fist at the clouds about a salary cap and treats analytics like hieroglyphics.

Nobody expects this team to flirt with a .500 record. But is it too much to ask them to compete? To locate a compass and single-mindedly pursue a destination. We all agree that the Rockies are a draft-and-development organization that doesn’t draft or develop well. But manager Bud Black must embrace the youth movement.

“It’s hard,” Black said. “You want to win every game, but you have to balance the now with the future.”

The onus is on him to navigate the task. No excuses.

Keep giving at-bats to Zac Veen — he plays with his platinum blond hair on fire and delivered a celebration after his eighth-inning double that made me wonder if something was smoking besides his bat. Bring back Jordan Beck. If that means curtains for Sean Bouchard, who cares?

Any veteran in this clubhouse must bring an edge — as Ryan Feltner demonstrated by working out of a fourth-inning mess with a primal scream. They must set an example that will help the development of Veen, Chase Dollander and Michael Toglia.

The organization comes across as rudderless. Nothing is stopping the players from establishing a culture.

It is why the Rockies must release Kris Bryant. He is a nice guy. No one disputes this. It simply sends the wrong message to use a DH more concerned about not getting hurt than getting a hit. He has missed four starts in the first 12 games. At the same age of 33, Todd Helton played in 154 games with a surgically-repaired back.

The Rockies need swag, confidence. Brenton Doyle is one of few who fit this description.

“Ryan gave us a good speech. That was a rough one,” said Doyle, who delivered three hits and five RBIs in the win. “It shows a lot about us on how we responded.”

Watching the Rockies lightbulb flicker, the juxtaposition with the Nuggets remains striking.

They robbed the winningest coach in franchise history of his dignity Tuesday, firing Michael Malone to give the team a chance for playoff redemption. They canned general manager Calvin Booth to demonstrate their distaste for the team’s performance and the tension the pair fostered.

This as they woke up Thursday with the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. The Rockies will need a telescope to see the postseason by month’s end if they are not careful.

The Kroenkes excel at silence, at living in the shadows. But regardless of my opinion on Malone’s exit, at least they want to win.

Is that thought even allowed at 20th and Blake? The concept has become foreign. And rarely discussed because that would demand Monfort holding accountable Rockies lifers who have failed upward.

Maybe Thursday is the start of something, of a retreat from embarrassment. Monfort is not selling the team. He is not hiring a real president, desperately needed to diminish the owner’s influence on baseball decisions.

Progress will happen only if Black holds players to a higher standard, if McMahon and others keep reminding their teammates they are sick of losing.

“It is about understanding we are better than (what happened Wednesday). We don’t need to just settle. We can make (bleep) happen,” McMahon said. “I think you saw that.”

Right-hander Antonio Senzatela got rocked, the offense continued to sputter, they committed four errors, and their 2-9 record is tied with the 2005 club for the worst 11-game start in franchise history.

How LoDo can they go?

It was a bad night for the defense. For the first time, Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle made an error in the same game.

The game turned from awful to ugly in the Brewers’ seven-run ninth. Reliever Seth Halvorsen committed a two-run error when he overthrew first base on an easy play. Then Christian Yelich, the next hitter, crushed a solo homer 465 feet to center.

“It was uncharacteristic of us,” manager Bud Black said about his team’s sloppy play. “We usually play really clean defensive games. That’s something we pride ourselves in.

“Tonight was not that night, for sure. You play 162 games during the course of a season, and we are not going to have many games like that.”

The Brewers, led by RBI machine Jackson Chourio, hit 6 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies went 1 for 8 and are now hitting .205 in the clutch this season, ranking 25th in the majors.

Senzatela entered the night with a 0.00 ERA after two starts. He departed after 4 1/3 innings with a 5.14 ERA. In other words, the Brewers lit him up, scoring nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits.

“My slider was too high in the strike zone and they put the barrel to it,” Senzatela said. “They hit the ball out of the ballpark. Huge mistakes by me. I have to keep the ball down.”

Powering the Brewers’ light show was a solo home run by William Contreras in a five-run third inning and a three-run homer by Chourio in a five-run fifth. Chourio, hitting .315 with four homers and 16 RBIs in the early going, also hit a two-run double in the third.

“Three big hits, eight runs, it was tough,” Black said. “It was the elevated pitches.”

Black, hoping to spark the offense by shaking up the lineup, started Sean Bouchard in left field against Milwaukee lefty Tyler Alexander. He dropped Kris Bryant, who’s often been the cleanup hitter this season, to seventh in the order.

Slumping first baseman Michael Toglia batted eighth and went 0 for 4, his average sinking to .140.

The Rockies, limited to seven hits, got a solo home run to center by Ryan McMahon in the third. It was McMahon’s second homer.

Bryant (2 for 4) led off the fourth with a double into the left field corner and scored on Brenton Doyle’s single. That was the extent of the Rockies’ scoring.

“We were looking for some different solutions to get the offense going,” Black said. “Only two runs again tonight and seven hits. … The Brewers bunched some hits together and got the big blows. In the first two innings, we got two guys on and couldn’t get the big blow. That’s been the story of these first 11 games.”

Colorado will face the Brewers on Thursday afternoon, hoping to avoid a three-game sweep. Then, the Rockies will head west for a three-game series at San Diego beginning Friday night.

Thursday’s pitching matchup

Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (season debut) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-0, 3.60 ERA)

1:10 p.m. Thursday, 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: Entering Wednesday night’s game, the Rockies bullpen had allowed at least one earned run in each of the first 10 games, the first time in franchise history that had happened. The Rockies’ 6.96 bullpen ERA was the worst in the majors.

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-1, 2.45) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-1, 2.70), 7:40 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (1-0, 7.20) at Padres LHP Kyle Hart (1-0, 11.42), 6:40 p.m.