Colorado Rockies pitcher Jon Gray put together the best start of his young career, but his offense let him down as the Rockies lost the series opener in San Diego, 2-1.
Gray allowed a pair of bloop singles and a two-run double to Matt Kemp to start the game, but after a walk to Brett Wallace retired 18 of the next 19 Padres he faced, including 16 in a row at one point. In total, he allowed two runs on four hits with the lone walk and 11 strikeouts, a career high. Gray threw 89 pitches, 59 for strikes.
However, the Rockies offense could not put hits together against San Diego starter James Shields. They managed nine hits in six innings against the Padres' right-hander, but had scoring chances squashed by a trio of double play balls and an utterly baffling attempted steal of third by DJ LeMahieu with Carlos Gonzalez at the plate with a 2-0 count and two outs in the top of the fifth.
The Rockies' lone run came in the fourth when Gonzalez scored on an RBI double from Nick Hundley with two outs, the team's only hit in seven tries with a man in scoring position.
However, the real story tonight was Gray, who remains snakebit in his attempt for his first big league win. In five starts away from Coors Field, Gray has a 2.77 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 26 innings and an 0-2 record to show for it. The Rockies have scored a total of eight runs in Gray's five road starts. The only possible explanation is like Indians pitcher Eddie Harris, played by Chelcie Ross, in the movie Major League, Gray is cursed after drinking Jobu's rum.
Gray's quest for a win will continue Saturday in San Francisco as he faces the Giants for the first time in his career and the Rockies will look to bounce back tomorrow with Eddie Butler on the mound against the Padres' Andrew Cashner.