Series by the Stats: Colorado Rockies split first road series of the 2023 season with some promising results

Two losses to end to end their stint in San Diego hampered the vibes following the 2-0 start to the season, but the Colorado Rockies had a lot to feel good about the opening weekend.

They could have taken the series with a win on Sunday over the Padres, something they did only five times in 24 road series last year. José Ureña didn’t give the Rockies a fighter’s chance on Saturday and Seth Lugo was outstanding on Sunday.

2: Wins in the first two games had the Rockies eyeing a four-game sweep of the Padres. Only the 1995 and 2015 seasons have ever began with a 4-0 start. (They’ve never started 5-0 in 31 seasons.) 

3: Rockies have yet to play a game that has lasted three hours. Friday night’s game lasted 2:27 and would have been the Rockies’ sixth-fastest game of the 2022 season.

4: After Germán Márquez and Kyle Freeland registered three walks in their combined 12 innings over the first two outings — tied with 2014 for the second-fewest base on balls through two games — José Ureña walked four the next game on Saturday through his 2.1 innings during an 8-4 loss.

5: C.J. Cron and Charlie Blackmon each had five hits during the first two games of the season, tying them for the National League lead after Friday. They are the first Rockies teammates to have at least five hits in the club’s first two games since Nolan Arenado and Troy Tulowitzki in 2015, and the first pair ever in franchise history to each have at least five hits with at least one home run.

Cron also joined Vinny Castilla (1998) and Trevor Story (2016) as the only Rockies in franchise history to record two home runs on Opening Day. His five runs batted in tied him with Castilla for the Rockies’ record on Opening Day.

7: Cron is the first player in franchise history with at least seven hits and three home runs through the first three games of a season. The last player with at least seven hits and three home runs through a teams first three games was Cody Bellinger (LAD) in 2019.

8: In his first game with the team on Saturday, Mike Moustakas saw 8 consecutive pitches outside the strike zone from Padres’ starter Michael Wacha. He became the first player to walk twice in his Rockies debut since Jayson Nix in 2008.

10: Charlie Blackmon made his 10th career Opening Day start, breaking a tie with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos González for the second-most Opening Day starts in team history. (Most: Todd Helton, 16) The 2023 season is Blackmon’s 13th on the Rockies’ Major League roster, second-most behind Todd Helton’s 17 seasons.

11: Of the 11 seasons in which Colorado started 3-1 or better, the team ended up going to the postseason in four of those seasons. The 2018 club started with a 2-2 record through the first four games.

Since June 14, 2021 the Rockies have gone 24-14 against the Padres, outscoring them 180-169. Over that span, the Rockies are 13-7 vs. the Padres in games decided by three or fewer runs.

15: After holding San Diego 0-for-15 in the first two games with runners in scoring position, Rockies pitching was not as effective, allowing the Padres to go 5-for-13 in the final two games of the series. 

21.240: Ezequiel Tovar became the youngest Rockie in history to start on Opening Day at 21 years and 240 days old. When he made his Major League debut on Sept. 23, 2022, he was the youngest position player to debut in franchise history at the age of 21-years-53-days-old.

34: Blackmon’s first home run of the season on Friday night snapped a 47-game homerless streak, the longest of his career. His 34 career home runs against San Diego are his most against any club and the most for any active player against the Padres. 

303: Three Colorado natives made the Rockies Opening Day roster: Kyle Freeland (Denver, Thomas Jefferson High School), Ty Blach (Denver, Regis Jesuit High School) and Pierce Johnson (Denver, Faith Christian Academy). Lucas Gilbreath (Westminster, Legacy High School) is on the 60-day injured list recovering from Tommy John surgery while Connor Seabold lived in Colorado for five years and once pitched at Coors Field while attending Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colo., before moving back to California.

174,915: Entering the season, San Diego’s attendance record at Petco Park for a 4-game series was 168,171. With crowds over 40,000 each game against Colorado, they set a new mark with 174,915 over the first four dates this season.

Diamond Details

Colorado travels north to Los Angeles to play a pair of night games against the Dodgers before celebrating their home opener on Thursday, April 6 at 2:10pm against the Washington Nationals.

Monday, 8:10pm – RHP Ryan Feltner vs. RHP Michael Grove

Tuesday, 8:10pm – RHP Germán Márquez vs. LHP Julio Urías