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Colorado Rockies end nightmare road trip with loss in Arizona

By Kevin Henry

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 25: Pitcher Adam Ottavino #0 of the Colorado Rockies reacts as he walks to the dugout after throwing wild pitches to score runs and give up the lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning of the baseball game at Dodger Stadium June 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 25: Pitcher Adam Ottavino #0 of the Colorado Rockies reacts as he walks to the dugout after throwing wild pitches to score runs and give up the lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning of the baseball game at Dodger Stadium June 25, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Rockies will return to Denver on Sunday night to prepare for a seven-game homestead before heading into the All-Star break. After what the team has seen since it last left the Mile High City, you’ll have to forgive the Rockies if they’re not too anxious to break out the suitcases any time soon.

Arizona’s 4-3 walkoff decision over the Rockies on Sunday afternoon put the final nail in a 1-8 road trip through three National League West foes, including the two teams ahead of Colorado in the standings. It was ugly in every sense of the word.

Which moment stood out the most? The cramp running out a grounder in San Francisco that cost DJ LeMahieu a couple of games of action? The cramp that took Ian Desmond out of Sunday’s game in the fourth inning? The four wild pitches thrown by Adam Ottavino in a complete meltdown in Los Angeles? Being swept by the first-place Dodgers and losing ground head-to-head in the standings or being swept by the fourth-place Giants after beating them in 10 of the first 11 meetings of the season? Or was it final game of the trip where the Rockies rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth only to see the D-backs pull out the win?

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Other than Jon Gray returning to the rotation (and leading the Rockies to their only win of the road trip), there was little for Colorado to celebrate on this road trip.

OK, so there is all of the bad news and doom and gloom we are going to mention. Rockies fans lived plenty of it during the road trip so there is no reason to bring it all up again. Let’s focus on what the Rockies need to do before the All-Star break.

Colorado ends the first half of the season with four games against Cincinnati and three games against the Chicago White Sox, all at Coors Field. Both teams entered Sunday’s action in last place of their respective divisions.

It begins a favorable stretch of games for the Rockies as you can see here. While no game can be taken for granted, the schedule gives Colorado the opportunity to build some momentum heading into the second half of the campaign.

Sure, there was plenty of bad news on the trip. Gray provided the good news. What was the best news? Colorado lost little in terms of the chase for the postseason. The Chicago Cubs are still six games behind the Rockies for the final Wild Card spot. The defending World Champions are in the rearview mirror but they are still a ways back there.

Next: 3 possible Colorado bullpen trade targets

It was a horrible road trip, but that’s in the rear view mirror now (along with the Cubs and other Wild Card contenders). Now the Rockies, 48-36 on the season, must focus on the task at hand and gain some momentum, beginning on Monday night against Cincinnati.

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