The Colorado Rockies got another quality start out of a rookie hurler but it wasn’t enough to overcome a disappearing act by the offense in what ended up a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday at Coors Field.
The Rockies managed just four hits and were flummoxed by Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who tossed seven shutout innings and struck out six batters. Wainwright entered the game with a 4.81 ERA but—perhaps as a little bit of a credit to Colorado hitters—he’s looked more like his usual self over his last three starts, allowing just one run in 20 1⁄3 innings during that time.
Still, it was a poor offensive performance—the Rockies struck out 10 times and didn’t have an extra-base hit—that spoiled a decent start from Kyle Freeland. The Denver native surrendered a two-run homer to hot-hitting outfielder Tommy Pham in the fifth inning but was otherwise solid, finishing with three earned runs allowed over six innings. Freeland scattered eight hits and walked a pair of batters while striking out four.
Ian Desmond led the Rockies’ offense with a pair of singles, but the 1-4 hitters in the lineup combined to go 0-for-15 with a walk and three strikeouts and left seven runners on base.
Colorado’s bullpen teamed up for three innings of scoreless relief even though things got a bit hairy in the top of the ninth when, after striking out the first two batters he faced, Mike Dunn walked three consecutive hitters. Rockies manager Bud Black called upon Jordan Lyles to get the final inning, and the much-maligned reliever induced a weak grounder off the bat of Yadier Molina to get his team out of trouble.
The Rockies this afternoon will attempt to avoid losing just their third series of the season when German Marquez—Colorado’s third rookie pitcher to start in the three-game set—takes the hill against Lance Lynn.