Colorado Rockies, Chris Rusin Done In By Five-Run Third Inning

Apr 6, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; General view of Minute Maid Park during the game between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Indians. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies took their final turn upon Tal’s Hill Tuesday afternoon in the second game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

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The Houston Astros scored five third-inning runs, and the Colorado Rockies couldn’t overcome a poor start by Chris Rusin, losing 8-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, when Jose Altuve singled home George Springer after a balk by Rusin, making it 1-0 after one inning and putting the Rockies in the hole early yet again on the road trip.

In the top of the second, though, the Rockies fought back against Astros’ starter Vincent Velasquez. Michael McKenry drove in Nolan Arenado with a triple — his third of the year. DJ LeMahieu then hit a ground-rule double to score McKenry, and Charlie Blackmon followed with an RBI single to drive in LeMahieu.

At the end of the carnage, the Rockies had taken a 3-1 lead, though it would be short-lived.

In the bottom of the second inning, Luis Valbuena hit a solo home run off Rusin to make it 3-2, and then in the bottom of the third inning, the Astros’ floodgates opened on the Rockies’ starter.

The Astros got five runs in the inning to take the lead, highlighted by RBI singles by Hank Conger and Domingo Santana, and another home run from Valbuena — this time, a three-run blast — that made the game 7-3.

Rusin would throw a scoreless fourth, but was done after that, allowing seven runs on nine hits and two walks in his four innings, striking out four Astros in the process.

To their credit, the Rockies did answer again in the top of the fifth when Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run blast off Velasquez to make it 7-5.

Brooks Brown came on for the Rockies in the bottom of the fifth and allowed a solo home run to Conger, making it an 8-5 game.

That was all the scoring for the day, as neither bullpen allowed anything in the final four innings, and the Rockiest went down quietly in the ninth inning to lose both games in Houston.

Will Harris (3-0) earned the win in relief, while Rusin (2-2) took the loss, his second consecutive one after a solid start to his big league season.

The Rockies, now 28-35, face these same Astros for two games in Denver beginning Wednesday evening.

Colorado Rockies, Chris Rusin Done In By Five-Run Third Inning

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