There were a couple of things to like about the Rockies’ performance Tuesday night at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field. Right-hander Chad Kuhl had a relatively strong start and shortstop Alan Trejo ripped a two-run homer.
But this being a road game — where the Rockies average a major league-worst 3.02 runs per game — victory was out of reach. Early. Again.
The White Sox used two home runs for a 4-2 victory and the Rockies slid to 21-47 away from Coors Field this season.
“We had a couple of guys on at certain times but we couldn’t get the big hit,” Bud Black told reporters in Chicago, repeating what’s become a familiar refrain for the manager. “We just couldn’t get enough consecutive hits to get us over the hump.”
Chicago first baseman Jose Abreu led off the eighth with a home run off right-hander Justin Lawrence to pound the final nail in the White Sox’s 10th victory in their last 13 games.
Kuhl, who’s scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season, needed a strong performance. He got it, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
“It really comes down to staying focused and staying with your game plan and executing pitches,” Kuhl told AT&T SportsNet.
Added Black: “I was impressed with how he came back and settled down after a tough start. That was good to see from Chad.”
Kuhl’s start looked as if it were going to be another lather-rinse-repeat performance when cleanup hitter Eloy Jimenez mashed a three-run homer to center in the first inning. Kuhl left a meatball slider over the plate and Jimenez ate it up. Kuhl set himself up for danger by giving up a leadoff double to Elvis Andrus and a one-out walk to Abreu.
But after that first inning, Kuhl pitched very well, giving up no more runs and allowing just five base runners for the rest of his outing. Tuesday marked the first time in 10 games that Kuhl pitched more than five innings.
Since his dazzling complete-game shutout against the Dodgers at Coors Field on June 27, Kuhl had been in a deep funk. The right-hander entered Tuesday’s game with a 9.08 ERA over his previous nine starts, allowing 15 home runs over, an average of 3.40 home runs per nine innings.
The Rockies managed just five hits and the heart of their order was a no-show, with C.J. Cron going 0-for-4, Charlie Blackmon 1-for-4, and Brendan Rodgers 0-for-4.
Blackmon’s single in the sixth snapped his 0-for-19 slump. Rodgers, who not long ago was flirting with a .300 average, is now hitting .265.
Chicago right-hander Michael Kopech was flawless for all but one of his five innings. The Rockies scored twice off him in the third, combining a one-out single by Elias Diaz, followed by Trejo’s two-run homer that shaved the White Sox lead to 3-2.
Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (8-9, 4.63 ERA) at White Sox RHP Dylan Cease (14-6, 2.06)
12:10 p.m. Wednesday, Guaranteed Rate Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland certainly has fond memories of facing the White Sox. He’s made just one start against them, on July 9, 2017, but he pitched 8 1/3 no-hit innings before giving up a single to Melky Cabrera in the ninth. Freeland’s performance marked the longest no-hit bid by a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field in franchise history. Freeland has pitched well of late, giving up three or fewer runs in each of his last three starts. He has a 4.46 ERA since June 4 (17 starts), and a solid 3.98 ERA since July 25 (nine starts). He’s been nails on the road lately, going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last five road starts, giving up just eight walks while fanning 23.
Cease, a strong American League Cy Young Award candidate, has had a terrific season and leads the majors with the lowest batting average against (.184), ranks second in ERA (2.06), and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.44). Cease is 10-4 with a 1.17 ERA and 135 strikeouts in his last 19 starts. Last Thursday, making his first start since coming one out away from throwing a no-hitter against the Twins, the right-hander allowed three hits and struck out nine while walking two in six scoreless innings at Oakland. Cease has never faced Colorado.
Trending: Outfielder Yonathan Daza entered Tuesday’s game at the White Sox having hit 8-for-19 with eight runs, three doubles, one home run and five RBIs in five games since being reinstated from the injured list on Sept. 6.
At issue: Second baseman Brendan Rodgers is stuck in his second deep slump of the season. He entered Tuesday’s game batting 5-for-49 (.102) over his last 13 games. He was hitting .350 (43-for-123) in his previous 31 games prior to the current slump. Rodgers opened the season hitting .084 in April.
Pitching probables:
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (8-10, 5.25) at Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman (3-7, 3.91), 12:20 p.m. ATTRM
Saturday: Rockies RHP Jose Urena (3-6, 5.81) at Cubs RHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.89), 12:20 p.m., ATTRM
