Colorado Rockies Can’t Get the Pitcher Out in Series Loss Against Nationals

There are a lot of reasons why the Colorado Rockies dropped three of four games to the Washington Nationals during their only trip to Coors Field this season. However, one of the biggest problems the Rockies had throughout the series was getting the opposing pitcher out.

Yes, you read that correctly. Washington’s pitcher proved to be one of the toughest outs the Rockies had throughout the final three games of the series. Yes, those were the games the Rockies lost.

Take Thursday’s 16-5 massacre for example. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez singled in the sixth inning to score Jayson Werth and stretch Washington’s early lead to 4-2. However, that wouldn’t be his most damaging at-bat of the day.

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In what would be a part of Washington’s 11-run seventh inning, Colorado reliever Carlos Estevez walked Gonzalez to drive in a run. He walked him on four pitches. He walked him with two outs in the inning. He walked him.

Six more batters came to the plate for the Nationals after that walk, including Bryce Harper who sent a ball screaming out of Coors Field and off the back of the bullpen wall for a three-run homer.

Walks will kill you in this game. Walks to the opposing pitcher? They’re more like Freddy Krueger. They’ll kill you … and keep coming back to kill you.

I asked Colorado manager Bud Black, a former pitcher, before the game if walking the opposing pitcher was an unforgiveable sin.

"“It’s a bad one,” Black smiled. “It’s a no-no. It’s come back to bite us in the ass in two games.”"

Make it three, including Thursday.

A two-out walk on Wednesday opened the floodgates for the Nationals as well. In the top of the second, Tanner Roark coaxed Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood into a walk. The next batter, Adam Eaton, singled to right to score two Nationals. Colorado would never grab the lead in an 11-4 loss.

Oh, and hey, Washington’s starter on Tuesday night, Joe Ross, also drew a two-out walk in the second inning. Two batters later (after another walk), Trea Turner hit a two-run double to start a five-run inning. In all, there were three walks in that inning alone. They all scored as part of Washington’s 15-12 win.

Next: The Latest Report From Colorado's Minor Leagues

Colorado ran into a buzzsaw in the Washington Nationals. This was a team that was locked in and focused and hitting the cover off the ball. However, the Rockies made some costly mistakes that fueled Washington’s offensive frenzy in LoDo. Those need to be corrected for Colorado to re-grab the momentum it had when the Nationals came to town.