Tovar makes more history as Colorado careens towards 100-loss season

Fans of the Colorado Rockies will never forget winning the 2018 National League Wild Card Game at Wrigley Field in 2018. They can also recall the day before, a loss in Game 163 against the Los Angeles Dodgers for ownership of the NL West pennant.

Since nearly winning their first division title — something that continues to evade them for the 31st consecutive season — Colorado is 22-53 (.293) against Los Angeles following Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Dodger Stadium.

Peter Lambert posted a quality start, his second of the year, thanks to six innings of work and three runs allowed over 89 pitches, the most the 26-year-old has thrown this season. Ezequiel Tovar provided the offense once again by adding his 12th home run of the campaign on the first pitch offered by Dodgers’ starter Tony Gonsolin.

And just like that…Tovar! pic.twitter.com/LSlbJukmdU

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 13, 2023

After opening the 10-game road trip with a series win in St. Louis for the first time since 2009, the Rockies have lost five of six with a single run scored in four of those losses. The defeat on Saturday at the hands of L.A. dropped Colorado to 45-72 (.385) on the season and put them on pace to finish at 62-100. While the Rockies had a stretch of 16-10 (.615) from April 30 to May 28, the final seven weeks of the regular season present much more formidable foes.

With the most difficult strength of schedule in all of Major League Baseball, only the Chicago White Sox pose minimal threat to the Colorado. Three games remain against the San Diego Padres and six with the Arizona Diamondbacks, two clubs that are currently under .500, but who added at the trade deadline and are within sniping distance of earning a Wild Card.

There’s also series remaining against four of the five best teams in the sport: Atlanta and Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field, and the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles on the road.

Kyle Gibson says that it’s called the “Homer Hose”

Celebration guide

⚾️ Single: Turn the water faucet on
⚾️ Extra base hit: Sprinkler
⚾️ Homer: Homer Hose

Austin Hays believes it was created by Cole Irvin and Keegan Akin #Birdland

pic.twitter.com/L1hLruuD9A

— Rocco DiSangro (@RoccoDiSangro) April 11, 2023

To win 18 of the final 45 games and finish at 63-99 is not beyond the realm of possibilities for a club hoping to avoid 100 losses for the first time in franchise history. The odds suggest history is in the making. What’s less surprising is that it hasn’t happened before. 

The Curse of Kersh

Thursday night’s 2-1 loss saw the return of Clayton Kershaw for the first time in 35 games due to left shoulder soreness. The three-time Cy Young Award winner last toed the slab on June 27 in Colorado, spinning six scoreless frames and allowing only one hit.

Kershaw was nearly as good over five innings, permitting three hits, including a solo home run to Elehuris Montero. Before L.A. eventually scored in the seventh inning, Kershaw was in line for his 12th career loss against the Rockies, a dubious feat that would have tied him with Adam Eaton and Liván Hernández for most against the club.

Elehuris Montero takes Kershaw deep! pic.twitter.com/b4eFXmT45M

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 11, 2023

The 16-year veteran holds many records against Colorado, some by a fairly significant margin. His 27 wins are eight more than runner-ups Madison Bumgarner and Randy Johnson. He’s made 50 starts against the Rockies, accumulating 305.0 innings pitched, both more than any other who has lined up against them. An earned run average of 3.30 is impressive, but only good enough for 7th-best amongst the 30 pitchers who have made 20 or more starts against the franchise. 

The Dodgers come to Denver during the final week of the season for four games — which includes a rare split-doubleheader — on Sept 26-28. 

If Kershaw makes his 28th career start at Coors Field, that will put him in sole possession for 28th-most for any starting pitcher at 20th and Blake. That’s more than many talented arms who have decorated the Rockies’ rotation over the years such as expansion original Armando Reynoso (26 GS), 2009 All-Star Jason Marquis (22 GS), and once notable trade acquisitions Jeff Hoffman (23 GS) and Jordan Lyles (21 GS).

Diamond Details

Tovar became the fourth Rockies player — and, yes, the youngest — all-time to hit a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game and the second to do so at Dodger Stadium following Eric Young Sr. (4/30/96). Connor Joe (4/25/22) and Dexter Fowler (4/8/09) have also accomplished this feat.