Colorado Rockies’ Bats Go Cold Again In Oakland In A 4-1 Loss

Jul 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder C. Gonzalez (5) reacts as home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez (72) calls him out at home against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics took to O.Co Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match in their three-game series.

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The Oakland Athletics strung together four single-run innings and Jesse Hahn out-pitched Chad Bettis, and the Colorado Rockies lost the rubber match 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland.

The A’s never had a big inning, but pushed their runs across on Bettis (and later, Christian Friedrich) thanks to timely hitting and some help from the Rockies’ defense.

The Rockies had the first chance to score in the top of the second inning with Carlos Gonzalez on third base after he doubled and moved up on a wild pitch, but he was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice.

In the second, the A’s took the lead on Eric Sogard‘s sacrifice fly that scored Billy Butler from third base. Butler, who tripled, was only at third after a tough play in left field for Rafael Ynoa — who crashed into the wall — turned into a triple when center fielder Charlie Blackmon had to track the ball down after Ynoa’s collision. Ynoa stayed in the game, though, and the Rockies were down 1-0 early.

The A’s tacked on a run in the bottom of the third inning, when Josh Reddick singled home Billy Burns, who had also hit a triple off Bettis.

The Rockies got their only run of the game in the top of the fourth inning on a Nick Hundley RBI double, bringing Ben Paulsen around to score and make the game 2-1 against A’s starter Hahn. However, the Rockies wouldn’t significantly threaten again until the seventh — when reliever and former Rockie Drew Pomeranz worked out of a two-on, two-out jam — and the bats were held in check once again.

Hahn ended up throwing six innings, allowing the run on four hits and two walks while striking out six Rockies. The Rox never figured out Hahn, nor the rest of the A’s staff, scoring just four runs in the three-game series on the road.

The A’s tacked on another run off Bettis in the bottom of the fifth inning on Butler’s RBI single, to make it a 3-1 game. Bettis ended up throwing 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four, and though his outing was certainly not the sharpest, he also kept the Rockies in the game well enough, despite the club’s cold bats.

Christian Friedrich allowed a run in the seventh when a fly ball fell between Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez, and the A’s finished off the Rox with little fanfare to win the series.

The Rockies now head to Arizona, where they will face the Diamondbacks for four games in Phoenix beginning Thursday evening.

Colorado Rockies’ Bats Go Cold Again In Oakland In A 4-1 Loss

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