In 2022, the Rockies’ home cooking was nothing to write home about.
A 13-6 loss to San Diego on Sunday afternoon left the Rockies with a 41-40 record at Coors Field. A winning record, sure, but Coors was not exactly a snakepit for opposing teams this season.
“Usually, that’s kind of our m.o. right? Be really good at home?” third baseman Ryan McMahon said. “This year, right around .500, that’s not what we need.”
Colorado limped to the LoDo finish line, going 1-6 on their final homestand. And, not counting the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, it was the Rockies’ worst home record since they went 36-45 in 2015.
Consider:
• Opposing hitters launched 102 homers in LoDo this season, including three by the Padres on Sunday. The Rockies hit just 98, including a solo blast by McMahon to lead off the third inning.
• Excluding the 2020 pandemic season, the Rockies launched their fewest homers at home since hitting 88 in 2013.
• Colorado was outscored at home, 476-456.
• Colorado batted .282 at home, ranking as the fifth-worst in franchise history.
• Rockies pitchers posted a 5.30 home, the 14th highest franchise history. Starters put up a 5.82 ERA while the relievers posted a 4.61 ERA.
Despite a poor start by lefty Kyle Freeland (seven runs allowed on nine hits over 2 2/3 innings), the Rockies trimmed the Padres’ lead to 7-5 in the fifth and looked like they just might rally and give their fans a nice parting gift.
But the streaking Padres, 7-2 in their last nine games and in the thick of the hunt for a National League wild-card spot, wrecked the Rockies’ bullpen for five runs in the eighth, including a three-run homer by Manny Machado off Alex Colome, followed up by Brandon Drury’s solo shot off Colome.
Freeland, who finished 5-6 with a 6.10 ERA at Coors in 16 starts, knows that the Rockies have a lot of work to do.
“We have to play better at home and on the road,” he said. “Being .500 on the road is very good, and at home, we have to be above .500. We have to protect our home-field advantage and we have to win here consistently and take series when teams come.”
Manager Bud Black has said multiple times since he took over the club in 2016 that he wants Coors to be a place where visiting teams dread venturing into. But to make that happen, things need to change.
“There’s got to be a marked improvement in a lot of areas — pitching, defense, hitting,” he said. “That’s the broad answer.”
Although the Rockies retooled in the offseason to become a more powerful offensive team, things didn’t pan out.
Kris Bryant, who signed a seven-year, $182 million contract, was limited to just 42 games and hit five home runs, all of them coming on the road.
First baseman C.J. Cron, who leads the Rockies with 29 homers and 101 RBIs, did most of his damage at Coors, where he hit 22 homers and drove in 75 runs.
Black is hopeful that 2023 will bring a power surge to LoDo.
“The teams that have won here, have hit homers,” Black said. “I think we have some projectable power. We have some raw power. And I think that’s something that you can point to, for Rockies team success.”
Per tradition, Black led the team around Coors Field for a thank you lap after the game. An announced crowd of 40,503 showed up for the home finale but there were only a smattering of fans left by the end of the 3-hour, 43-minute affair.
“These fans here in Denver are great fans and this is a great sports town,” Black said. “We are very, very appreciative of the fans. I know I am, and the players, also.”
