Rockies commit 4 errors in embarrassing blowout
After giving up 19 hits in 9 2⁄3 innings and escaping with no unearned runs in his first two starts, Antonio Senzatela’s luck was bound to run out at some time. When it did on Wednesday, it was only a small sign of the destruction to come.
Senzatela ended up giving up eight earned runs, first coming undone in the third inning when two doubles, an error, a walk, and a homer helped the Brewers put up a five-spot. It got worse from there and escalated to a lopsided 17-2 loss when the Rockies surrendered seven more runs in the ninth. Offensively, the Rockies were held to seven hits and left 11 runners on base. The loss dropped the Rockies to 2-9
Senza streak ends
Senzatela struck out three Brewers and held Milwaukee hitless in the first two innings. Garrett Mitchell led off the third with a double, but Senzatela eliminated Mitchell by snagging an Oliver Dunn ground ball and catching Mitchell in a pickle. After walking Joey Ortiz, a one-out grounder that might have been a double play instead went by Ezequiel Tovar and was then bobbled by Brenton Doyle to allow Milwaukee to go up 1-0.
Jackson Chourio followed with a double and William Contreras homered. Just like that, it was 5-0 Brewers and Senzatela’s 0.00 ERA went to 3.55 in one inning.
Senzatela bounced back with a three-up, three-down inning in the fourth, but the Brewers jumped on him in the fifth when Ortiz and Brice Turang led off with back-to-back singles before Chourio smashed a three-run homer. Senzatela gave up one more single and got one more out before being pulled with the Rockies down 8-2 after giving up eight hits with three strikeouts, and one walk for eight earned runs (nine total). Senzatela left the game with a 5.14 ERA.
Bad D
Count them: One. Two. Three. Four. Four errors.
On a very rare day, Tovar and Doyle both committed errors. It was the first time the Gold Glovers made an error on the first day. To make matters worse, Seth Halvorsen made a throwing error that allowed two runs to score in the ninth and Mickey Moniak bobbled a ball to add to the ninth-inning calamity. The Rockies now have nine errors through their first 11 games. Tovar is the only player on the team with two.
Offense still anemic
Ryan McMahon got the Rockies on the board when he hit a solo homer in the third for his second bomb of the season. The next run came in the fourth when Kris Bryant led off with a double, Zac Veen moved him to third, and with two outs, Doyle hit an RBI single. Bryant and Tovar each finished with two hits for the Rockies.
The Rockies combined for eight hits while also walking five times. Ever consistent, the Rockies struck out nine times. Sean Bouchard walked twice and struck out twice, while Kyle Farmer also struck out twice.
Bullpen was better until it wasn’t
Luis Peralta relieved Senzatela and the Brewers scored two more runs in the fifth, no thanks to the Tovar error and a funky spiked throw by Hunter Goodman that allowed a double steal. Peralta rebounded with a scoreless sixth, while Angel Chivilli and Tyler Kinley followed with back-to-back scoreless frames.
Then came Halvorsen’s ninth-inning collapse and it started to feel like the game that would never end. It all started with Halvorsen walking Ortiz and Turang and then committing a throwing error to allow both to score. Then Christian Yelich chimed in, homering to make it two touchdowns to a safety. Halvorsen gave up another single and walk before being pulled for Victor Vodnik. After recording a strikeout, Vodnik gave up two singles and Moniak bobbled the ball to allow an extra run to score. By the time Vodnik struck out Turang, it was 17-2.
Thankfully, the game did eventually end. That was about the only bright spot.
Up Next
The Rockies and Brewers will play the final game of their three-game series on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. MT. The game will wrap up a six-game home stand and after the Rockies will hit the road for six more games in California to face the Padres and Dodgers.