PHOENIX — The Rockies’ growing pains are going to hurt.
What was already suspected became evident in the season’s first series, which saw the Rockies lose three of four games to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, getting outscored 32-14.
Colorado’s 5-1 loss on Sunday stung because the outcome could have been different, except that the Rockies played poor defense and squandered a prime chance to score runs.
“It was very, very uncharacteristic for a team that prides itself on defense,” manager Bud Black said.
Once again, a D-backs starter outpitched their Rockies counterpart.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt confounded the Rockies early, striking out five of the first eight hitters he faced — four of them looking. Pfaadt gave up one run on five hits over five innings. He fanned six and didn’t walk a batter.
The Rockies’ critical meltdown came in the Diamondbacks’ two-run fifth inning. Although starter Ryan Feltner issued a leadoff walk to Tucker Barnhart and Barnhart stole second base, Feltner worked out of trouble. Or at least he thought he did. But left fielder Nolan Jones dropped a routine, two-out flyball hit by Ketel Marte, allowing Barnhart to score. Then Rockies killer Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped an RBI single into the left-field corner.
“I just misread it,” Jones said. “I drifted a little bit, and it hit the edge of my glove. It’s obviously a play I have to make. It’s not acceptable.”
Black added, “The flyball with Nolan, you just don’t see that a lot. That’s rare. We didn’t play as sharp defensively as we can.”
While the Rockies have come out of the gate struggling at the plate (.225 team average, .646 OPS), Gurriel is off to a sizzling start and he hurt the Rockies the entire series. He hit 2 for 4 and drove in two more runs Sunday, finishing the four-game series hitting .471 (8 for 17) with 10 RBIs.
Feltner deserved a better fate. He rebounded from a tough, three-run first inning that included a throwing error by catcher Jacob Stallings, a botched pickoff play at second and a solo homer by Christian Walker.
But Feltner settled in after that and pitched through the fifth inning, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits. He struck out four and walked two.
“My stuff was solid, and my stuff’s in a good spot,” Feltner said. “Staying aggressive is the main thing. There were times that I let up on some pitches when I shouldn’t have.”
Gurriel singled off Feltner in the first inning before delivering the RBI double in the fifth, even though Feltner said he threw decent pitches to the D-Backs’ left fielder.
“I was throwing good pitches to him, pitches that felt good out of the hand,” Feltner said. “But then they got whacked, so he’s definitely hot right now.”
Though Feltner threw 28 pitches in the first inning, he escaped major trouble by getting an inning-ending double play. He induced another double play in the second.
“Feltner deserved, probably, a little bit better,” Black said. “His stuff was good and the ball-strike ratio was good (86 pitches, 60 strikes). He was up to 97 (mph) with the fastball and he threw some good changeups.”
Stallings drove in Colorado’s only run with an RBI single in the fifth off Pfaadt, scoring Michael Toglia, who led off with a walk. But what could have been a big inning for Colorado fizzled. Jones hit an infield popout with the bases loaded and one out, and Elehuris Montero grounded out to the shortstop.
“We need to slim the zone down and I didn’t do that,” Jones said.
Second baseman Brendan Rodgers tipped his cap to Pfaadt.
“He was getting ahead and that made it tough on us,” Rodgers said. “He’s got pretty good stuff and his slider was effective today.”
Monday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (6-3, 4.98 ERA in 2023) at Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (7-5, 2.66 in Japan)
12:20 p.m. (MDT) Monday, Wrigley Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Hudson, a free-agent signee on a one-year deal, makes his Rockies debut in Chicago. The right-hander had a decent spring training, posting a 4.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts vs. seven walks in five starts. He’s 3-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 career appearances (five starts) against the Cubs, including 3-0 with a 4.29 ERA in six appearances (three starts) at Wrigley Field.
Shota signed a four-year contract with the Cubs in January and went 2-2 with a 5.68 ERA and 25 strikeouts in four Cactus League starts. He struck out at least five batters in all four of his starts, including nine on March 14 vs. Oakland. Shota went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 22 games (20 starts) last season with Yokohama when he led the Japan Central League with a career-high 174 strikeouts.
Pitching probables
Tuesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-1, 38.57 in 2024) at Cubs RHP Javier Assas (10-5, 3.05 in 2023), 5:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (0-1, 9.00 in 2024) at Cubs TBA, 5:40 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
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