Colorado Rockies suffer six-run second inning, lose to Oakland Athletics 9-4

It was a tale of two starters in the Rockies' spring training game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday afternoon from Arizona, a game that Oakland won by a score of 9-4 thanks to a big second inning offensive outburst that took Colorado out of competition early at Hohokam Park.

Shane Carle got the start for Colorado, but he was unable to put together a strong outing. Carle, who lasted just 1⅔ innings, gave up five runs on four hits. The man that followed him wasn't much better, as Konner Wade gave up one hit, walked two and watched two more runs score in his ⅓ of an inning.

The Rockies' struggles on the mound, combined with two innings of one-hit ball from A's starter Sean Manaea, resulted in Oakland carrying a 7-0 lead into the the third. That was when Colorado first managed to get on the board, when Gerardo Parra recorded his second RBI of the spring on a single to right that scored Cristhian Adames.

From there, things settled down some as Harrison Musgrave and Brock Huntzinger worked through three consecutive scoreless innings before the Athletics picked up two more in the sixth.

In the final three innings, the Rockies mustered a feeble comeback attempt, scoring a run in each frame. Trevor Story walked twice in two plate appearances and was able to drive in a run during a bases loaded situation in the seventh, but unfortunately for the club, they were unable to get anything more out of it, and stranded a total of seven runners in scoring position on the day.

Story now has four RBI in two appearances this spring. Ben Paulsen and Noel Cuevas drove in runs three and four for the team later in the game, but by then, things were well in hand for the A's.

In addition to Story, reliever Carlos Estevez provided another bright spot for the team. He gave up one hit and struck out two in his one inning of work, his second strong outing of the spring as he fights to make the Opening Day roster as a power arm out of the bullpen.

The Rockies are back at it on Saturday afternoon, when Tyler Chatwood takes the mound against the Padres.