Rockies bullpen gives up six runs in ninth in 8-4 loss to Phillies

The Rockies have turned heartbreak into an art form.

For the umpteenth time this season, a late-inning rally against their undependable bullpen cost the Rockies a victory on Saturday night.

The Phillies won 8-4, scoring six runs in the ninth off relievers Jalen Beeks, Justin Lawrence and John Curtiss. The Coors Field crowd of 37,535 fans, many clad in Philly red, held a party.

“It’s frustration right now,” said Lawrence, who blew his third save and is carrying a 5.91 ERA. “It feels like a couple of times now that we have spoiled some really, really good starts by our guys. They have had some incredible stretches lately.

“I’ve been real big on trying to make those relief innings just kind of boring. Got out there and execute. But the (Phillies) are a good team and they have some really good hitters. YOu have to be able to execute against one of the best teams in the league, and I didn’t do that to the best of my ability tonight.”

Colorado’s loss was compounded by the loss of rookie outfielder Jordan Beck, who broke his hand while making a diving catch in the first inning.

In the ninth inning, Beeks committed a cardinal sin by walking leadoff hitter Brandon Marsh. Enter Lawrence, who promptly gave up an opposite-field RBI triple to right by Edmundo Sosa, tying the game, 3-3. Garrett Stubbs’ single through the right side scored Sosa for the go-ahead run.

Regarding Sosa’s triple, Lawrence said: “I threw that pitch with conviction, and it was one pitch that I executed. We wanted to go fastball in there, and he turned it inside out the other way. He’s hitting (.333) for a reason. He’s a great hitter.”

It got worse for the Rockies’ ‘pen. Much worse.

Curtiss relieved Lawrence and gave up a three-run homer to Bryce Harper, who sliced his 13th homer of the season just inside the left-field foul pole. The Phillies fans of LoDo serenaded Harper with chants of “MVP! MVP!”

A double by Alec Bohm and an RBI single by Nick Castellanos put a bow on Philly’s comeback.

Colorado scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on Charlie Blackmon’s RBI double, his 600th career extra-base hit, breaking a tie with Larry Walker for the second-most in franchise history behind Todd Helton (998).

“There is frustration when you lose a game, depending on how you lose it,” manager Bud Black said. “Whether it’s starting pitching, whether it’s lack of offense, whether it’s not hitting in the clutch, whether it’s poor defense … Right now, the bullpen has been very variable. So it is frustrating.”

The painful part for the Rockies, who are now 17-34 and on pace to lose 108 games, is that they are wasting excellent starting pitching.

Behind a solid start from Dakota Hudson, the Rockies looked primed to beat the powerful Phillies for the second night in a row.

Hudson, who’s been the weak link in the rotation chain, pitched a fine game. He held the Phillies to two runs on five hits over six innings. The right-hander has been walk-prone, but he issued just one free pass and fanned two.

“I was mixing a little bit over everything,” Hudson said. “I could have been a little bit better with my glove-side heater, but I felt really good about the changeup.”

Over the last five games, the Rockies have five quality starts and a sparkling 1.93 ERA. Since May 1 (22 games), they have a 3.80 ERA with 12 quality starts. All of that after an April in which Colorado starters posted a 5.81 ERA with just seven quality starts.

“I have always believed that starting pitching is the backbone of a team’s success,” Black said. “We have had a nice run of starts. I’m proud of the guys. In a lot of ways, they are very unheralded … but I’m proud of them and they way they are throwing the ball.”

Hudson’s night started out a bit rough. Kyle Schwarber led off with a solid single up the middle and scored on Harper’s line-drive single to right.

But Hudson regrouped and held Philly scoreless until the fifth. Stubbs led off with a single, advanced to second on Johan Rojas’ groundout, and then took third on a delayed steal when he caught the Rockies napping. Stubbs scored on Kyle Schwarber’s sacrifice fly to center, cutting Colorado’s lead to 3-2.

The Rockies manufactured single runs in the first, second and third innings against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Until the ninth inning, it was all the offense the Rockies needed.

Back-to-back, two-out walks by Ryan McMahon and Kris Bryant set the table for Brendan Rodgers’ RBI single in the first. In the second, Brenton Doyle led off with an infield single, stole second, and took third on Jacob Stallings’ single. Doyle scored on Hunter Goodman’s groundout to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.

Ezequiel Tovar converted his leadoff single into a 3-1 lead in the third. Marsh’s error allowed Tovar to scoot to second, and Tovar took third on Ryan McMahon’s groundout. Tovar scored on Bryant’s hard groundout that caromed off Nola.

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