After routing the Cubs last night 10-3, it was the Rockies who were routed today, losing 10-1. Cole Hamels dominated the Rockies, striking out nine batters in seven innings.
Things get heated
Tensions ran high throughout the game, beginning in the third inning. Early in the game, Antonio Senzatela pitched really inside to Kyle Schwarber. To start the third, Javier Báez was almost mowed down by Senzatela. In the bottom of the third, Nolan Arenado was hit on the forearm by Cole Hamels and was ultimately lifted in the fifth in favor of Ryan McMahon. It was announced that Arenado has a left forearm contusion. More on that to come.
UPDATE: X-rays are negative, according to Arenado and Bud Black. “When I first got hit, I knew it was on the meat, you know, where the muscle is so I was feeling OK but it was throbbing and got super tight and sometimes when things get super tight quick you’re afraid it might be a break so...it was just getting tight and the game was getting ugly so I thought ‘just get me outta there’ and rest it and hopefully feel better tomorrow.” He also mentioned that the plan is to play tomorrow depending “on how I wake up, how I feel swinging tomorrow.”
Later in the game, there seemed to be some more retaliation. Cole Hamels himself was hit on the foot by an errant cutter by Bryan Shaw in the seventh inning. Then, in the eighth inning, Phillip Diehl came out and hit Anthony Rizzo. Báez came up again and hit a two run moon shot and made sure to stare down Diehl before starting around the bases. In the ninth inning, Tony Wolters was also drilled but was able to steal second and third on defensive indifference and score the Rockies only run off the bat of Chris Iannetta. For those of you keeping track at home, that makes four hit batsmen and three almost-hit batsmen. Luckily, this is the last time the Rockies and Cubs will see each other during the regular season. Arenado mentioned that if they did meet again, “it would be a spicy series.”
Senzatela’s rough start
Antonio Senzatela had a rough start, only lasting four innings plus three batters. In that time, he allowed eight hits and eight runs (six earned), while also walking four (one intentional) and striking out two. Senzatela threw 90 pitches, 49 of which were strikes.
His first inning looked fine, where he recorded his two strikeouts. However, the wheels fell off in the second when he pitched to every Cubs player except Báez. It started with four straight hits — a single, a double, and two more singles. Then he finally got Addison Russell to fly out to David Dahl. He gave up a three-run home run to Schwarber to make it 5-0 before finally retiring Bote and Rizzo to end the inning.
Up Next
The Rockies welcome the Padres in town for a four game set over the weekend. Jon Gray is the projected starter on Thursday against Padres rookie righty Cal Quantrill.