Colorado Rockies morning after: The offense is in a funk (again) in Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — The Colorado Rockies started the season with back-to-back six-run performances against the Miami Marlins. Since then, however, the offense has once again slid back into shades of last season. And that’s not a good thing.

Colorado Rockies fans don’t need to be reminded of last season when the team set new offensive futility records. The result was Daniel Murphy being signed in the offseason and Dave Magadan being hired as the new Colorado hitting coach.

Well, five games into the season, Murphy is heading for the injured list and the Rockies bats are looking like what we saw during the “you just know they’re going to hit” phases of last season.

Three runs and eight hits in a 7-3 loss to Miami on Saturday wasn’t bad. Five hits in a shutout loss to the Marlins on Sunday was. OK, no worries. After all, the Rockies never hit well in Miami, right?

Well, the offensive doldrums followed them on the short flight across Florida to Tampa. Four of the first five Rockies on Monday night went down by strikeout. It was a sign of things to come as Colorado managed just three singles in the game’s first four innings.

"We can’t seem to get anything going. We can’t string any hits together. And when that happens, you’re not gonna score,” Colorado manager Bud Black said after the game. “You have to get baserunners. We’re not getting them on.”"

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Colorado seemed to shake the rust off in the sixth inning of Monday’s game, with Charlie Blackmon reaching base with one out after being hit by a pitch. David Dahl followed with a single and Nolan Arenado plated Blackmon with a double ripped down the third base line.

A golden opportunity for Colorado to shake off the rust, right? Runners at second and third with one out for Trevor Story … who then proceeded to pop up to the first baseman as part of a 2-for-19 start to the season that has included seven strikeouts. Three of those came on Monday night.

It was part of a 12-strikeout night for the Rockies, including all three batters in the ninth as the 7-1 loss ended with a whimper.

"“It’s tough to pinpoint it,” Story said. “It’s a tough game. It’s not for the lack of work, that’s for sure. We believe in ourselves and we know we’ll get it going.”"

Yes, Rockies fans. Patience is a virtue … and let’s all remember that it is just five games into the season. However, in all honesty, a struggling offense that has scored one run in the last 21 innings can often make Rockies fans feel like this…

As a team, the Rockies are now hitting .229 with just a .275 on base percentage in 2019. It has to get better for Colorado with two games still to go on this Florida swing.

Sitting at 2-3, Colorado can win the final two games of the series and head home with a winning record during its seven-game opening tour of Florida. That in itself would be a win in the eyes of many, especially knowing Colorado’s recent struggles in the Sunshine State. However, that’s only going to happen with an offense that awakens beginning Tuesday at Tropicana Field.