The Rockies drove in seven runs, smashed two home runs and, at one point, held a four-run lead.
It still wasn’t enough against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon.
With two outs in the ninth inning, the Reds hit two home runs, including a grand slam from second baseman Jonathan India, as Colorado lost, 12-7, and extended its losing streak to five games.
The Rockies were up 7-6 when pitcher Jalen Beeks was asked to secure the victory out of the bullpen. After Beeks hit Reds center fielder TJ Friedl to start the inning, he got two quick outs. But things quickly went south.
Beeks gave up a go-ahead two-run home run to Reds first baseman Spencer Steer, then loaded the bases before getting replaced by Angel Chivilli, who gave up the home run to India that had fans at Coors Field heading for the exits after the Reds all but secured a series sweep.
“I went (fastball) top zone (and Steer) put a good swing on it,” Beeks said. “I’m confident in my fastball been, so that was a tough one to swallow.”
The Rockies aggressively attacked Reds starter Graham Ashcraft, driving in four runs on five hits in the opening frame. Colorado recorded three straight singles to load the bases before designated hitter Elias Diaz drove in a run on a ground out. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers added to the scoreboard with a two-run single. With Rodgers at second, Elehuris Montero belted an RBI single to take a four-run lead.
Ashcraft was taken out of the game after allowing six hits and recorded two strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
Before Colorado’s scoring outburst in the bottom half of the first, starting pitcher Dakota Hudson avoided a potential meltdown. The Reds had runners on the corners with no outs, but catcher Jacob Stallings caught Elly De La Cruz trying to steal second. Hudson then struck out Jeimer Candelario before third baseman Ryan McMahon leaped to catch a line drive from Spencer Steer to get out of the jam.
Colorado, however, started to see its lead slip away in the third when Candelario hit a moonshot two-run homer to right field, cutting Colorado’s lead to 4-2. Hudson continued to struggle with his command in the top of the fifth when he gave up a lead-off walk, then Friedl smashed a game-tying two-run home run.
Hudson gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings before manager Bud Black replaced him with reliever Victor Vodnik.
“The ball-strike ratio wasn’t great, almost 50-50,” Black said. “That’s tough sledding when you’re pitching out of the stretch a little bit.”
Diaz, who hit a combined 4 for 11 in the past three games, put the Rockies back on top after belting a solo home run to left field. And he didn’t stop there. In the seventh, he hit an RBI single to right-center, followed by a sacrifice fly from Rodgers to give Colorado a three-run advantage.
The Reds cut the deficit down to a run in the eighth when Jacob Hurtubise hit an RBI triple before India’s sacrifice fly. With Jake Cave standing on second, Colorado had a chance to add another run in the bottom half of the eighth, but outfielder Brenton Doyle, who replaced the injured Sean Bouchard, was caught stealing second. Cave was also tagged out while trying to go home off of Charlie Blackmon’s ground ball.
“We shot ourselves in the foot too often,” Black said.
Thursday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (4-4, 3.84 ERA) at Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (7-3, 3.00)
5:45 p.m. Thursday, Busch Stadium
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
Quantrill will be looking to bounce back after allowing four runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of a losing effort to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. Overall, the Rockies have played well whenever Quantrill takes the mound. Colorado has a 4-2 record in Quantrill’s last six starts, and the right-hander has found success with his split-finger fastball.
After Gray struck out eight batters in a win over the Cubs last month, he gave up four runs despite recording 10 strikeouts in a loss to the Phillies last weekend. The Cardinals’ ace has recorded 45 strikeouts in his last six starts.
Pitching probables
Friday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (1-3, 3.06) at Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (2-3, 3.23), 6:15 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-5, 6.22 ERA) at Cardinals RHP Kyle Gibson (4-2, 3.69), 2:15 p.m.
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