Butler struggles in Colorado Rockies second consecutive heartbreaker

DENVER — Eddie Butler just wasn’t good enough, and Zack Greinke was just good enough, in the second straight heartbreaking loss for the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies drew first blood in the first inning on a pair of doubles from Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado and a single from Trevor Story. They landed another punch in the second on an opposite-field home run from Mark Reynolds, his seventh of the season, and the Rockies lead 3-0 early.

But Arizona took the lead right back in the top of the third with a pair of two-run home runs. The first was a 443-foot blast off the bat of Socrates Brito and the second was Jake Lamb’s 15th of the year to nearly the same spot. The Diamondbacks added two more the following frame on singles from Yasmani Tomas and Paul Goldschmidt after Butler walked his counterpart, Greinke. And very quickly, it was 6-3.

The Rockies had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fifth, getting the first two batters (LeMahieu and Arenado) on base with nobody out. But Carlos Gonzalez grounded weakly into a force out at third, Story popped up to shallow right, and Ryan Raburn struck out looking to quickly end the threat.

Butler was told before and during the game that he would need to gut through and get innings no matter the results and he went back out for the fifth and put up a zero which turned out to be important not just in preserving the bullpen but also keeping his team in the game. “He bent but he didn’t break,” said Weiss post-game. “He left some balls up to some left-handed hitters, but he could have gotten derailed there and he didn’t.”

The Rockies did get back in the game in the bottom of the eighth, tying the game with a singles parade involving Raburn, Reynolds, Blackmon, LeMahieu and Daniel Descalso in a pinch-hit role. Descalso continues to deliver big for the Rockies in 2016.

Somehow, the inning still ended up a disappointment. After an Arenado walk, the Rockies had the bases loaded with only one out and all of the momentum, having tied the game and with the heart of the order due up. Gonzalez and Story struck out swinging back-to-back — CarGo appearing to tweak his wrist or hand in the process. It was announced after the game that Gonzalez has suffered a right wrist sprain. He is listed as day-to-day and will be reevaluated in the morning.

On whether or not the Rockies need to take a more considered, contact style approach in those situations, Weiss says, “Those guys have been driving in runs for years and they are good at it. Every once in a while, the pitcher gets you.”

Carlos Estevez came on in the ninth and looked to be in control striking out the first two hitters, including getting Goldschmidt at the end of an 11-pitch at-bat. “I threw every pitch that I had. In and out, up and down. And he fouled them all off. I just went fastball, went with my strength, to get him.”

But then three seeing eye singles, one of which went off of Estevez’ glove another which “beat the shift” plated the Diamonbacks a run and gave them a ninth-inning lead.

“That’s not Carlos Estevez’ loss, that’s my loss,” Butler said after the game. “If I get a Quality Start tonight, we win.”

Lasting Impact

It would be easy to overreact to this start from Butler but it is worth noting that he has been on a remarkably odd schedule lately. He hadn’t pitched in 10 days and was unsure of his role (starter or closer) coming into this last week. He admitted to BSN Denver that the circumstances have been “stressful” but also insisted on his own culpability, saying he intends to seek out some advice from others on the team who have switched back and forth between the rotation and relief.

We will have more on this very soon.

What’s Next

Game 2 will be the third MLB start for Tyler Anderson and his second at Coors Field. Arizona hands the ball to their own promising young guy in Archie Bradley. First pitch is at 6:40 MST.