To shamelessly steal a phrase from Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi: “No sweep for you!”
Sunday afternoon, the Rockies were on track for just their second three-game sweep of the season. They led the White Sox, 5-3, entering the eighth inning at Coors Field. Then, “yada, yada, yada,” it all fell apart.
Chicago teed off on relievers Matt Koch, Justin Bruihl and Justin Lawrence in a seven-run inning to pocket a 10-5 win.
Koch gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. Bruihl, a left-hander, came in and intentionally walked Yasmani Grandal to load the bases so that he could face lefty Oscar Colas. The strategy backfired when Colas hit a two-run double to left.
The back-breaker was Lenyn Sosa’s three-run homer to left off of Lawrence’s first-pitch sweeper. Lawrence has not been sharp lately. He allowed a career-high five runs last Tuesday in the ninth inning, his eighth blown save of the season in an 8-5 loss to Arizona at Coors.
Lawrence, however, does not believe he’s in a funk.
“My body feels good,” Lawrence said, adding that the sweeper he threw to Sosa was a well-located pitch. “I’ve had some conversations with (Daniel) Bard and (Tyler) Kinley, and you can’t equate a team scoring runs to bad pitching; that’s not really how the game is.
“If a team scores a bunch of runs, it doesn’t always mean it’s because of bad pitching. Or if a team goes up there and puts up a zero, it doesn’t mean it’s bad hitting. It’s all part of the game. I’m hoping to be out there for 65-75 games and put a good stretch together to end the season.”
Manager Bud Black said that Koch left too many balls up over the plate, but he didn’t think that Bruihl’s pitch that led to Colas’ double was poorly located.
The Rockies were seeking their first sweep since taking three games from Milwaukee on May 2-4 at Coors Field. And with a big day from veteran Charlie Blackmon and a solid start from Chris Flexen, they were well on their way to one of the most satisfying weekends of the season.
Blackmon put the Rockies on the board in the third inning with a two-out, solo homer into the second deck in right field. Blackmon demolished right-hander Dylan Cease’s first-pitch curveball, sending it 455 feet. It was Blackmon’s seventh homer of the season and his second in two days.
The 37-year-old Blackmon, who missed 53 games because of a broken right hand, tore around the bases for a triple in Colorado’s three-run fifth inning. It was Blackmon’s 62nd career triple — he also hit one Tuesday night — the most among active major league players. Blackmon is the only active player with at least 300 doubles, 60 triples and 200 home runs in his career.
Flexen gave the Rockies six strong innings, limiting the White Sox to two runs (one earned) on seven hits for his best start of the season.
“I tried to mix all of my pitches,” Flexon said. “I thought my slider was pretty good today and my fastball command, too, for the most part.”
Flexen struck out five and walked none. Andrew Vaughn led off the second with a homer to left, and Chicago tagged on an unearned run in the third to take a 2-0 lead when Andrew Benintendi stole third base and strolled home on catcher Austin Wynns’ throwing error.
Kinley back on the IL. Kinley, who missed more than a year after undergoing surgery last summer, was placed on the 15-day injured list before Sunday’s game with right elbow inflammation.
The Rockies recalled right-hander Tommy Doyle from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill Kinley’s spot in the bullpen.
On Aug. 1, Kinley returned to the majors after rehabbing from last summer’s right elbow flexor tendon surgery. But he did not pitch well, posting a 9.53 ERA and a 2.12 WHIP in seven games.
Kinley and Black both said they believe the inflammation is not directly related to his surgery.
“There was a little bit more inflammation than we would like, so we said, ‘Let’s get ahead of this,’” said Kinley, adding that he’s felt discomfort for the last week. “I don’t think this is serious and hopefully I can rest it for a couple of days.”
Kinley said he was surprised that he didn’t feel discomfort earlier as he worked his way back to the big-league mound.
“I had such a smooth, great rehab process leading up to (my return) that (trainers) were kind of waiting for this to happen,” Kinley said. “This is pretty common to happen.”
The Rockies are off Monday before beginning a six-day, six-game road trip at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Pitching probables
Tuesday: Rockies LHP Ty Blach (1-1, 4.14 ERA) at Rays TBA, 4:40 p.m., ATTRM
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (9-9, 5.52) at Rays TBA, 4:40 p.m., ATTRM
Thursday: Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (3-4, 5.02) at Rays TBA, 11:10 a.m., ATTRM
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