A weak rolling baseball on the infield grass was all it took to thwart the Rockies on Thursday.
Randy Arozarena tapped a groundball down the third-base line that rendered a charging Ryan McMahon unable to attempt a throw across the diamond. From there, the innocent two-out hit extended the bottom of the eighth inning just long enough for the Rays to strike.
Matt Koch surrendered a two-run home run to the next batter, Josh Lowe, and the Rays held on for a 5-3 win over Colorado to sweep a three-game set at Tropicana Field. The Rockies (48-79) have lost four in a row.
With 35 games remaining in 2023, starting with a weekend series at the American League-leading Baltimore Orioles, Colorado must finish 15-20 to avoid its first 100-loss season.
Even across the country from their friendly high-altitude confines where the ball soars, the Rockies were sustained then, done in, by the home run all afternoon Thursday. Nolan Jones supplied Colorado’s only runs with a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth inning, but Lowe’s game-winning blast in the eighth was one of three home runs hit by Tampa.
Isaac Paredes tied the series finale with a solo blast in the sixth inning off Tommy Doyle, after Luke Raley had started the scoring with another in the second.
The Rockies have allowed a home run in 11 consecutive games. Opponents have hit 38 home runs in the last 22 games.
When Colorado pieced together rallies on Thursday, only the home run ball could help them. McMahon came up early in the game with the bases loaded and one out but grounded into an inning-ending double play. That accounted for half of the team’s six men left on base.
And against electrifying Rays closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth, the Rockies managed an infield hit of their own to bring the tying run to the plate. But the game ended with Elias Diaz swinging for a 14th homer this season and instead whiffing.
Fairbanks struck out the side, bringing Colorado’s total to 12 for the day. During their current four-game skid, the Rockies have combined for 49 strikeouts and 10 walks, an ongoing issue as young players have increasingly earned opportunities to get game reps since the trade deadline.
Starting pitcher Peter Lambert worked a solid five innings, striking out six and only allowing two runs before handing the ball to the bullpen. Lambert has kept a steady 3.00 ERA in his last three starts.
The top of the lineup continued to fuel Colorado, as Jones and Charlie Blackmon combined to hit 5 for 8. The rest of the lineup was 3 for 25 with one extra-base hit.
