The Rockies lost...again. For the third time in a row, sixth time in their last eight games, and eighth time in the last ten to be exact. Yikes.
The Astros took full advantage of every facet of Coors Field on Wednesday — from the thin air to the spacious outfield — to pile on the runs. They ended up scoring 13 runs on 20 hits, while the Rockies scored six runs on 10 hits.
Castellani is human after all
Ryan Castellani earned his first MLB decision on Wednesday, but it certainly wasn’t the one he wanted. He got roughed up early and pitched 5 2⁄3 innings — allowing five runs on eight hits. He gave up as many home runs (2) as he did walks (1) and strikeouts (1) combined. Castellani entered the game only having allowed one earned run on two hits in his previous two starts.
So is Jeff Hoffman
Jeff Hoffman seemed to finally establishing himself as a solid piece of the Rockies bullpen. Entering Wednesday’s contest, he had a 0.93 ERA after only allowing one run on three hits in 9 2⁄3 innings. He exited Wednesday’s contest after only pitching 2⁄3 of an inning, but was tagged for five runs on six hits. The two outs that he recorded were both strikeouts. His ERA now sits at 5.23.
Offensive woes continue
The Rockies were seriously fooled by Houston starter Framber Valdez. In his 7 2⁄3 innings, he allowed three runs on seven hits, but only one was earned. He struck out five Rockies and walked one. Raimel Tapia continues his hot streak and was the only starter to record multiple hits in the contest, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. His slash now sits at .302/.354/.372 after 43 at-bats.
While Tapia remained hot, Nolan Arenado remains cold. He had another 0-for-3 night before being pulled from the game in the eighth, and has just two hits in his last six games.
Now, the team did rally in the late innings. Drew Butera, Tony Wolters, Chris Owings, and Brendan Rodgers combined to score five more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the 13-3 deficit entering the ninth proved to be too much of a challenge to overcome.
Ashton’s debut
Lost in the midst of the madness, Ashton Goudeau (No. 13 PuRP) made his MLB debut Wednesday night for the Rockies. The 28-year-old pitched 1 2⁄3 innings, allowing one run (a solo homer from George Springer) on four hits.
Up next
The Rockies will look to avoid the four-game sweep on Thursday. Germán Márquez will take the mound; first pitch is at 1:10pm MT.