Following their win over the Washington Nationals on Monday, the Colorado Rockies were the best team in the National League at 14-6. In a loss to those same Nationals on Wednesday, Colorado looked like one of the worst. Colorado struggled on offense, defense and on the mound in an 11-4 defeat at a chilly Coors Field, their second loss in a row to the Nationals.
Tyler Chatwood struggled early and suffered his third loss of the season. He surrendered five runs (all earned) over five innings, allowing eight hits and a concerning three walks and two home runs. Chris Rusin, who had been solid in middle relief through his first four appearances of the season, allowed four runs on four hits over just 1.2 innings pitched. Chad Qualls allowed another two earned runs over 1.1 innings in his first appearance of the season. Trea Turner, who hit for the cycle on Tuesday in a 15-12 Nationals win, nearly had another on Wednesday, falling just a triple shy for Washington.
Defensively, Colorado committed three errors on the night; they have committed five in the last two games after committing just five total through the first 20 games of the season. Colorado’s offense was few and far between on Monday night against Tanner Roark and the Washington bullpen. Mark Reynolds was the only Rockies player to produce multiple hits in the loss.
Colorado will try and end the series with a split on Thursday afternoon. The game figures to be a pitcher’s duel as Gio Gonzalez (2-0, 1.35) and Antonio Senzatela (3-0, 2.08) square off in a 1:10 p.m. MDT start. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 50s with a 65 percent chance of rain at game time. Colorado wraps up the week with a trip to Arizona.
