The Rockies’ road to ruin, and quite possibly the first 100-loss season in franchise history, continued Wednesday afternoon at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
The Rockies rallied late but could not overcome another poor start by Chase Anderson, losing 6-4 to the Astros.
“The pitches that he’s making are coming back to bite him,” manager Bud Black told reporters. “His stuff has remained pretty consistent. There hasn’t been a drop off in velocity or movement.
“We talk about location all of the time and the ability to pitch to where the target is. And I think with Chase, it’s just a case of too many pitches over the plate that have come back to bite him.”
Colorado has lost 10 consecutive road games — the second-longest road losing streak in franchise history, trumped only by a 13-game skid May 10-June 2, 2008.
Speaking of numbers, the Astros certainly have the Rockies’. The defending World Series champions are 21-5 in their last 26 games against Colorado and have won nine straight at Minute Maid.
During their 10-game skid away from Denver, the Rockies have been outscored 74-33, and their starters have posted an 11.14 ERA with only three starts of five or more innings.
Colorado, at least, showed some fight in this one. Down 5-0 after four innings, the Rockies scratched out two runs in the fifth off J.P. France on RBI singles by Harold Castro and Jurickson Profar to make it 5-2.
A two-out solo homer by C.J. Cron in the sixth, and a leadoff shot by Randal Grichuk in the seventh, cut the Astros’ lead to 5-4. It was Cron’s seventh home run of the season and his first since coming off the injured list June 26.
“That was more like it,” Black said. “A game like today was more indicative of what they can do. They are capable of that; they are capable of power.”
But Houston secured an insurance run off Pierce Johnson in the bottom of the frame, stringing together singles by Corey Julks, Jeremy Pena and Mauricio Dubon.
Anderson gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings. All five runs came via home runs: a one-out solo blast to left by Yanier Diaz in the second; a two-run shot to left by Diaz in the fourth; and a two-run homer into the right-field seats by Pena, also in the fourth.
But Anderson didn’t think he pitched poorly.
“I’m usually really good at locating the baseball,” Anderson told reporters. “The first homer was kind of up. It wasn’t a great pitch but it wasn’t a terrible pitch.
“The other two were good pitches, they just put really good swings on them. Other than that, I felt really good today.”
When the Rockies picked up Anderson off waivers from Tampa Bay in May, they were hoping his veteran know-how would help stabilize a shaky rotation. Anderson did that for a bit, but his last four starts have been a disaster. He’s pitched to an 18.23 ERA, serving up eight home runs. Overall, he’s now 0-4 with a 6.89 ERA.
“I have to get better and limit (the home runs) but the last two (starts) I feel like I’ve made some steady progress,” Anderson said. “I’m trending in the right direction, just not as fast as I would like it.”
With a 33-55 record, the Rockies are a season-worst 22 games under .500 and on pace to finish 61-101.
The Rockies’ road trip continues Friday in San Francisco when they open a three-game series with the Giants before the All-Star break.
Pitching probables
The Rockies are off on Thursday.
Friday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (6-7, 6.64 ERA) at Giants TBA, 8:15 p.m., ATTRM
Saturday: Rockies RHP Connor Seabold (1-5, 6.62) at Giants TBA, 2:05 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-9, 4.93) at Giants RHP Logan Webb (7-7, 3.38), 2:05 p.m., ATTRM
Monday-July 13: All-Star break
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