Colorado Rockies see another first-inning lead, different result against Phillies
Apr. 21—The loss showed in Bud Black's fourth-inning actions.
Colorado hasn't been able to celebrate with handshakes in eight of the team's last nine tries. The highs and, often, lows of the Rockies' barometer showed as the manager argued a JT Realmuto hit by pitch to load the bases against Noah Davis in his second start as he watched the Rockies garner just four hits and commit two errors in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Directly after Black's ejection for arguing, Davis allowed a pair of runs, his first this year, on a balk with the bases loaded and a Jake Cake infield single to trim the Rockies' lead to one — Mike Redmond on the bench operating as the new manager for Friday night's tilt.
Nick Castellanos' shenanigans on third base that caused the balk were just part of his damage.
An inning later, his single knocked Davis out of the game following 4 2/3 innings of work. He allowed just one earned run but had a soaring pitch count, 39 after three innings, before ballooning to 92 by the time he was pulled with two outs in the fourth.
Trea Turner's 12-pitch at-bat to start the frame took the biggest toll.
Ryan McMahon's 408-foot, three-run homer in the first inning mimicked Thursday's two-run bomb by CJ Cron to start the game with a Rockies lead.
Aaron Nola proceeded to allow just one hit in the next six innings. The Phillies, who had a scoreless streak reach 16-plus innings on Friday before ending, used a Kyle Schwarber, seventh-inning home run and Edmundo Sosa's eighth-inning single to cross the thin line the Rockies walk with so few hits themselves.
Brad Hand tried his own luck and tossed a middle-middle fastball past Josh Harrison, escaping narrowly from damage in the at-bat preceding Sosa's.
Getting zero hits across six innings will make winning games tough with the pitching staff currently present.
Phillies 4, Rockies 3
What Happened: The Rockies let a win slip away late after their offense went cold following an early home run to even the four-game series at a win apiece heading into Saturday's matinee.
On the mound: Noah Davis went 4 2/3 innings and had his scoreless starting streak go 8 2/3 innings before it ended in the fourth frame. He struck out five and allowed one earned run, two total. Brent Suter threw 1 1/3 flawless innings before Dinelson Lamet and Brad Hand allowed an earned run apiece in the final two innings.
At the plate: Ryan McMahon hit his fourth home run of the year in the fourth inning to drive in three. Kris Bryant had a 1-for-4 night and has reached base safely in 19 of his 20 games.
What's next: Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland, 2-1) at Philadelphia Phillies (Christopher Sanchez, 0-0) at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday (AT&T SportsNet).
