The Rockies have lost 83.6% of their games, but their walk-off loss on Tuesday night was extra painful.
The Rockies played one of their more solid games of a rickety season, got an excellent start from German Marquez, and four stellar innings from their bullpen. But they fell, 4-3, to the Cubs in 11 innings at chilly Wrigley Field and extended the worst start in MLB’s modern era to 9-46.
By losing the first two games of the series, the Rockies lost the three-game series. According to OptaSTATS, the Rockies have now lost 21 consecutive series dating back to last year. That’s the longest series losing streak in MLB history.
More from the misery index: The Rockies, 3-24 on the road, lost their eighth consecutive game at Wrigley. They’re on pace to lose 135 games, blowing away the White Sox’s record 121 losses last season.
The Cubs stole Tuesday night’s game — literally.
They swiped six bases, including two in the 11th off reliever Tyler Kinley. Ghost runner Pete Crow-Armstrong swiped third and scored on Michael Busch’s check-swing single to left to tie the game 3-3. Jon Berti, running for Busch, stole second base and scored on Matt Shaw’s walk-off, bloop single to right.
“The Cubs run all the time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told Rockies.TV in Chicago. “The take advantage of slow leg times (by pitchers) and tonight they used their legs a lot.”
Schaeffer, who is 2-13 since replacing Bud Black, called the loss “frustrating.”
Colorado took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th on Brenton Doyle’s RBI groundout to first, scoring Ezequiel Tovar from third. Tovar opened the inning at second base and advanced on catcher Hunter Goodman’s single up the middle off Chris Flexen. But it turns out that the Rockies needed more than one extra-inning run.
And, per usual, the Rockies lacked the big hits that would have made the difference. The Rockies were 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position, and their season average with RISP is .213, fifth-lowest in the majors.
Goodman made a crucial, redemptive throw in the eighth. Chicago had already swiped four bases, and Dansby Swanson reached on a four-pitch walk by Seth Halvorsen. Swanson took off on Halvorsen’s first pitch to Busch, but Goodman’s throw to Tovar at short was perfect, and Swanson slid into the tag. Halvorsen got Busch to ground out to first to end the inning.
Unfortunately for Colorado, Tyler Freeman, who reached on a one-out single in the ninth, was erased trying to steal second on a perfect throw by Cubs catcher Reese McGuire. Right-hander Ryan Pressly got Kyle Farmer to chop out to short for the third out.
For the third time in his last four starts, Marquez gave the Rockies a solid start, striking out a season-high six batters. He allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings. He whittled his ERA from 9.90 on May 4 to 7.13. Not great, by any means, but the right-hander is making progress. He generated 13 swings and misses for the second consecutive game.
” ‘Marky’s’ curveball was really good and he got some punchouts with that,” Schaeffer said. “His fastball command — his two-seamer — was good tonight. He gave us a chance to win tonight, which is fantastic.”
Marquez’s one rough inning was the third. The Cubs scored two runs and sent seven hitters to the plate. Two stolen bases, the first by Shaw, the second by Ian Happ, set up both Chicago runs. Seiya Suzuki delivered a single to left to score Shaw, and Armstrong’s RBI groundout to first scored Happ.
In the fourth, Colorado’s Ryan McMahon’s two-out, RBI single to left scored Jordan Beck, who reached on a hit-by-pitch and then stole second. It was just McMahon’s fourth RBI on the road this season. Colorado loaded the bases on a walk by Doyle and a bunt single by Mickey Moniak, giving it a chance for a big inning. But Michael Toglia flew out to center, ending the inning.
Toglia, 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout, is hitting .196. On the road, he’s hitting .122 (11 for 90) with a 48% strikeout rate.
Colorado tied the game, 2-2, on Doyle’s leadoff homer in the seventh off Cubs right-hander Cade Horton. Doyle lined Horton’s first-pitch slider 371 feet to left. It was Doyle’s fifth homer but his first since April 30.
“It was a good night for him, that’s a stepping stone,” Schaeffer said. “It was a step forward. He was big for us tonight, and we expect more of that.”
Vodnik returns. Right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik was activated off the 15-day injured list before Tuesday’s game. In a corresponding move, Colorado optioned right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Vodnik, 25, went on the IL on April 20 (retroactive to April 17) with right shoulder inflammation. The club initially thought he would return relatively quickly, but the soreness persisted. He eventually received a cortisone shot. Vodnik made two minor league rehab starts.
In nine appearances this season, Vodnik has a 4.50 ERA across just eight innings and hasn’t pitched for the Rockies since April 16. In 20 appearances (29 1/3), Chivilli posted a 6.14 ERA.
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