Tigers sweep sloppy Rockies in doubleheader by combined 21-3 margin
Published in Baseball
DENVER — Following the Colorado Rockies’ 10-2 Game 1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon, veteran left-handed starter Kyle Freeland was emotional.
When asked to compare what his reeling Rockies are doing to turn things around versus what teams such as the Tigers and Kansas City Royals have done, the Colorado native was blunt.
“What they’re doing is right, what we’re doing is wrong,” he said. “And we’re not winning baseball games. We’re playing a bad brand of baseball, all the way around. Pitching, fielding, hitting.”
Things didn’t improve in Game 2, which ended with utility infielder Alan Trejo pitching in the ninth inning.
Detroit romped, 11-1, to complete a three-game series sweep and send Colorado to its sixth consecutive loss.
For the record, Trejo gave up a leadoff single to Colt Keith, got Riley Greene to ground into a double play, and closed out the ninth inning by inducing Spencer Torkelson to chop out to short.
The Rockies’ 6-31 record is tied with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the worst 37-game start in the Modern Era. (That doesn’t include teams that played to ties in the early 1900s). Colorado’s .162 winning percentage has the club on pace to finish 26-136.
It’s hard to imagine the Rockies will play this poorly for the entire season, but they are stuck in a hard place right now.
How bad was Game 1? Here’s an example four snapshots:
— Second baseman Adael Amador whiffed on his throw back into the infield in Detroit’s two-run first inning and was charged with an error.
— Trejo muffed Zach McKinstry’s grounder at shortstop for another error in the Tigers’ five-run second.
— Catcher Hunter Goodman allowed a throw to home to scoot under his glove for Colorado’s third error in the Tigers’ two-run third.
— Freeland displayed his frustration via body language on an afternoon when he was rocked for nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits in three innings.
Freeland said the mistakes behind him were not what fed his frustration.
“I was frustrated with myself,” he said. “I wasn’t making pitches.”
Colorado’s defense and pitching were bad in the first game, and its offense was AWOL against Detroit right-hander Casey Mize.
Mize gave up one run on three hits, struck out eight and walked none over six innings. At one point, Mize set down 13 in a row.
Colorado’s lone run came off Mize in the fifth on a one-out single by Nick Martini, a double to left by Mickey Moniak, and a sacrifice fly by Trejo. The sunsplashed crowd responded with a sarcastic LoDo Cheer.
Detroit pounded 14 hits while the Rockies had four, including a triple by Jordan Beck in the ninth that became the Rockies’ second run on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Goodman.
In Game 2, the Tigers ambushed right-hander Tanner Gordon for six runs on seven hits in the third inning, the biggest blow a three-run double by Gleyber Torres.
Gordon, called up from Triple-A Albuquerque for the start, at least gave the Rockies some needed length on the mound and gave the overworked bullpen a break. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits, striking out four and walking one.
Keith supplied the Game 2 fireworks in the seventh inning. He hit a towering, 450-foot homer into the second deck above right field off Tyler Kinley.
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