Rockies bats wake up, pitching falters in old-fashioned Coors Field shootout

DENVER – It wasn’t just rain drops falling from the sky at Coors Field on Friday night. More baseballs might have found the outfield grass than the light drizzle that accompanied the second half of the 11-10 slugfest.

As both teams posted season highs in hits, the Colorado Rockies tried to get back in the win column in game two of the four game set with the Milwaukee Brewers. Jumping out to a 9-3 lead, a win didn’t seem like a tall order behind the starting pitcher who has been the team’s ace to this point in the season, Chad Bettis. But an implosion in the sixth and a two run home run by Manny Pina to tie the game with two outs in the ninth later, and the narrative of the game was completely changed. Travis Shaw drove in three runs for the Brewers, including the dagger in the 10th inning.

It was undoubtedly Bettis’s worst start of his 2018 campaign thus far, getting tagged for seven runs on 10 hits and three walks. He had not allowed more than four runs and six hits in his previous seven starts.

Things got off to a rough start for Bettis, surrendering back-to-back singles to start the game. However, after a sacrifice fly to drive in a run, he escaped the jam without further damage on a line out double play that deflected off his glove to Story, who picked off Christian Yelich trying to return to first.

Bettis allowed the first two runners to reach in the second inning as well, putting runners on the corners on an unsuccessful double play when Ian Desmond hesitated on a throw to second. After the game’s second run scored on an Orlando Arcia base hit, Desmond earned some redemption with an athletic throw to third on a bunt by Brandon Woodruff to get a force out.

Desmond would come up big in his first at-bat as well, taking a Woodruff fastball back up the middle, just to the left of second base in the second inning. With the Brewers defense shifted for Desmond to push the ball to right field, a liner that would normally be a single turned into a double that scored Gerardo Parra all the way from first base, getting Colorado on the board.

A big response to a Travis Shaw home run in the third gave the Rockies their first lead of the series. The top of the lineup–DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon, Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez–recorded four consecutive hits and five in six at-bats. Even Story, who flew out deep to center to drive in Arenado and the go-ahead run, had a strong, 10-pitch plate appearance resulting in the sac fly.

The long inning appeared to help Bettis as well, who threw his only 1-2-3 inning of the game in the fourth, along with his first strikeout and a ground ball double play.

Bettis got an even longer rest in the fourth–albeit he spent some time on the basepaths–as the bats stayed hot. Iannetta padded the lead with a home run to deep left-center, his fourth on the season, to start the inning. He got the chance for an encore before putting the catcher gear back on as well, with the Rockies batting around to the tune of five runs, including a bases-clearing triple by Story that made sure Colorado did not squander the opportunity.

The Brewers would not go down without a fight, however, putting up a four-spot of their own in the sixth and chasing Bettis from the game. Chris Rusin’s early season struggles continued, as he allowed his inherited runner to score, and then one of his own on a hit and a walk allowed.

The next inning, the lead, now 10-8, seemed to be in bigger jeopardy after Bryan Shaw allowed a leadoff double to Jesus Aguilar. However, the danger was quelled when Story caught Aguilar trying to take third on a grounder, and then made a nice stab to start an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play on the next batter to set the Brewers down in order.

Wade Davis, whose only blown save of 2017 came against the Brewers, got a quick two outs, with the help of a diving catch by Parra on Aguilar. But, with two outs, Pina took him to the opposite field to knot the score at 10-10.

The Rockies went quietly in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Jake McGee allowed a trio of singles, the final of which to Shaw to give Milwaukee their first lead in seven innings and roughly three hours.

Josh Hader, the only pitcher in baseball with a higher K/9 than Adam Ottavino, sealed the deal in the bottom of the frame, dealing the Rockies a devastating loss.

Five of the Rockies runs came with two outs.

The Rockies fall to 21-18 and 6-10 at Coors Field.

Final Stats

Chad Bettis: 5+ IP, 10 H, 7 R (7 ER), 3 K, 3 BB

Chris Rusin: 1 IP, H, R (ER), K, BB

Bryan Shaw: 1 IP, H

Adam Ottavino: 1 IP, K, 2 BB

Wade Davis: IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), HR

Jake McGee: IP, 3 H, R, K

Trevor Story: 1-for-4, 4 RBI, R

Gerardo Parra: 4-for-4, RBI, R

Charlie Blackmon: 3-for-6, RBI, 2 R

Carlos Gonzalez: 2-for-5, HR (4)

Ian Desmond: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB

What’s Next

The Rockies and Brewers match up again tomorrow for game three of four in the series as Kyle Freeland duels Chase Anderson. First pitch is 6:10 p.m.