DENVER – The moments that set in motion the Rockies’ eighth straight home loss on Saturday – 4-3 to the Guardians – came early, and showed the comprehensive nature of this Mile High struggle.
Two on and one out against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee in the first inning fizzled when TJ Rumfield struck out and Kyle Karros grounded to first base. Troy Johnston moved to second with two out in the second, but Zac Veen struck out.
Then Rockies starter Gabriel Hughes walked Chase DeLauter to open the top of the fourth and two batters later gave up a Jo Adell three-run homer that marred an otherwise solid five innings.
Moments presented themselves, but the Rockies did little with them.
This struggle at Coors Field, where they must dominate to become a contender, flies in the face of the overriding story of Rockies '26 – they are climbing out of the sad sack that left them dealing with a 43-119 record last season. For those who are counting, if the Rockies win 13 games the rest of the way, they can avert a fourth straight 100-loss season.
But the poor home performances recently seem inexplicable. Between the three losses against the Rays to start the streak, three losses to the Dodgers and the last two to the Guardians, the Rockies gained positive vibes by going 5-4 in their longest road trip of the season.
But wins are the best evidence of improvement, and the Rockies have not been able to offer any at home for a while.
What are the problems that keep the Rockies out of the win column?
The inability to grab a lead
During this skid, the Rockies have had exactly two leads. They were up two runs in the ninth inning of a 9-7, 10-inning loss to the Rays on Aug. 4 – closer Jordan Romano’s only blown save since joining the Rockies on July 4.
But the only other game they led was Friday, when they scored a first-inning run, but lost, 9-1, because they were unable to capitalize on the seven walks Cleveland pitchers issued.
Runners in scoring position
Rumfield, Karros (who left the game in the sixth because of the recurrence of symptoms from a concussion that he returned from Saturday after a seven-game absence) and Veen didn’t come through during the first three innings.
Johnston doubled in a run with two out in the fourth and was at third when Brett Sullivan’s hard liner found the glove of Petey Halpin in center field to leave the Rockies 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
In scoring position chances during the skid, the Rockies are 15-for-68 (.221). Adell’s home run and Patrick Bailey’s RBI single with two on in the sixth left the Guardians 2-for-6 on Saturday, and in total, opponents are 31-of-94 (.330).
“We play nine innings for a reason – the first inning is just as important as the ninth inning in terms of runs scored,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We made Bibee work tonight in the first inning – upwards of 30 pitches – but nothing to show for it.
"We’re going to have to be able to put something up there just to get the game rolling.”
Mickey Moniak launched his 21st homer of the season and his second in the last two games. Connor Norby led off the ninth with his fifth homer of the year – first since the Rockies acquired him from the Marlins at the Trade Deadline. But waiting for a home run or an extra-base hit with a runner at first base is a tough way to score.
The current homestand has been played without catcher Hunter Goodman, who has 34 homers.
Starting pitching
This one can’t be blamed on Hughes, who celebrated his 25th birthday by pitching five mostly solid innings. The first three went by in 31 pitches.
“That was a big focus this week, just attacking the zone,” Hughes said. “Getting strike one. I need to just carry that to the next start, keep attacking earlier in the count.”
Still, Rockies starters have a 9.68 ERA during the skid.
He was hurt by the five-pitch walk to DeLauter, falling behind José Ramírez before giving up his 1,752nd hit in a Cleveland uniform and yielding the Adell homer on a pitch he wanted to throw more outside.
“A leadoff walk is never going to help,” he said. “Falling behind Ramírez is never going to help. And throwing a sweeper out of the zone – probably a little too close – I paid for it. Mistakes come back to haunt you.”