The Reds found little to celebrate Sunday afternoon on a festive day at Coors Field, while Rockies fans rejoiced over a major milestone for Todd Helton. Cincinnati lost the rubber match 7-4, despite outhitting the Rockies 15-12, losing the series and an opportunity to gain ground on first place in the process.
The Reds offense showed up, but it was hardly timely as they went 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base. The loss kept the Reds 3 1/2 games behind the Cardinals and Pirates, who are tied for first after St. Louis’ victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“We outhit them, but every time we got something going, we ran into a couple double plays,” manager Dusty Baker said. “Those really hurt us, because we had runners on first and second and nobody out. At the end of those innings, we’d strike out, so we have to keep the ball off the ground in those situations and then try to keep the ball in better contact, which is what we’re always preaching.”
Things didn’t fall the Reds’ way all day, starting with in the first when Rockies leadoff hitter Corey Dickerson blooped a shallow fly between second base and right field, turning a lazy fly into a double. Jay Bruce made a great running grab at the right-field wall on the next play, but with two out in the inning, Michael Cuddyer doubled to left to put the Rockies on the scoreboard.
“It was a decent curve, just probably not a good pitch for him,” starting pitcher Mike Leake said of the double. “It was a little frustrating, just because I wasn’t throwing the ball exactly where I wanted it today.”
Leake’s troubles mounted in the second when Nolan Arenado led off with a homer into the left-field seats to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead.
“That was a back-up cutter,” Leake said of the second of three big mistake pitches. “They’re all mistakes that they hit. They made me pay.”
The Reds’ only break came in the third, when Leake led off with a single to center. His liner struck Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood on his pitching hand as the right-hander followed through. Chatwood stayed in the game but gave up a game-tying two-run homer to the next batter he faced, Shin-Soo Choo, then walked two batters in a row before being lifted with a bruised right thumb.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
