Rockies squander strong start from Márquez in Philly

Rockies Report, Game 4:

BOTTOM LINE: As was the case in the last series opener — and home opener for a foe — Colorado squandered six brilliant innings from its starter as an inability to generate much offense — including another poor day with runners in scoring position, as the Rockies went 0-for-5 — ensured that a seventh-inning Philadelphia outburst buried the Rockies in a 6-1 defeat that dropped them to 1-3.

Hunter Goodman provided all of Colorado’s offense with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, giving the purple and black a lead that relievers Scott Alexander and Victor Vodnik let slip away in the bottom of the seventh. Alexander took the loss, his first of the season.

STARTER’S REPORT: Germán Márquez delivered the second quality start in four games for the Rockies and became the third Colorado starter to leave the mound without allowing an earned run in four games. Márquez scattered four hits and didn’t walk a Phillie, striking out four in an 83-pitch afternoon.

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Four-consecutive Phillies reached base in the bottom of the seventh, and all came home. Alexander allowed a Bryson Stott double and walked Trea Turner before giving way to Vodnik, who yielded a two-RBI Edmundo Sosa double to the right-center-field gap and a two-run Kyle Schwarber blast over the center-field wall.

Consecutive eighth-inning home-runs by the Phillies — including a deep drive by Nick Castellanos — added to Colorado’s bullpen misery.


ROCKIES NUMBERS TO NOTE:

0.84: Starters’ ERA
10.80: Bullpen ERA

2: Walks drawn by Kris Bryant as he returned to the lineup but was dropped one spot to the No. 5 position in the order with Goodman remaining in the cleanup spot as he returned to catcher after a Sunday off-day from duties behind the plate.

ROCKIES UNIFORM: Black hat with purple bill, gray jersey, gray pants. The Rockies are 0-1 in this ensemble.

WHAT’S NEXT: An off-day, built into the schedule to account for a potential rainout of the Phillies’ home opener. The series with Philadelphia resumes Wednesday night with Kyle Freeland making his second start of the season after throwing six shutout innings in the season opener at Tampa Bay last Friday.