After losing five straight and with one game remaining before the All-Star Break, this recap was always going to have one of two themes:
- Rockies end losing streak and enter the break on a high note — perfect timing!
- Rockies lose another one and, at the very least, now get a break — perfect timing!
The Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 5-3 in Arizona Sunday, so we’re stuck with option two. To make matters worse, the loss has put the Rockies below .500 for the first time since late May. Perfect timing, indeed.
Alexcy Young shuts down Rockies
It feels like this happens to the Rockies more than other teams. Alex Young, making his second career start, no hit the Rockies through his six innings of work, and making it look relatively easy to do so. Maybe you’ve heard of Young, maybe you haven’t, but that feels an awful lot like nearly getting no hit by Jordan Lyles.
The Rockies didn’t get their first hit of the game until the seventh, after the Diamondbacks removed Young after throwing just 71 pitches.
When the wheels came off
German Márquez was excellent through five innings, allowing one run on three hits without walking anybody and striking out five. The run he allowed was the product of a misplay at first base by Daniel Murphy. Things fell apart in the sixth inning though. Márquez walked a batter and allowed two singles to give up two runs, and then with two outs Christian Walker hit a two run home run to make it a four run inning. That made it 5-0 Diamondbacks.
Home run offense
The Rockies offense came from the long ball. Chris Iannetta gave the Rockies their first two runs in the eighth with a two run home run, and Trevor Story hit a solo home run off of Greg Holland to lead off the ninth. As soon as the ball landed on the other side of the fence, the Diamondbacks got their bullpen going. But Holland settled down to retire the next three batters.
Up next
Most Rockies players will be taking a much needed vacation. You can watch All-Stars Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, and David Dahl represent the National League this Tuesday night in Cleveland though. The Rockies resume play on Friday against the Reds, which will be the start of a seven game home stand.