Colorado Rockies morning after: A dirty dozen to open the season

By Kevin Henry | Apr 9, 2019

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 09: Pitcher Seunghwan Oh #18 of the Colorado Rockies confers with catcher Tony Wolters #14 in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on April 09, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies entered the 2019 campaign with high hopes and plans for a third consecutive postseason berth. However, through the first 12 games of the season, it has been simply a struggle to find the positives and keep their collective heads above water.

After succumbing to the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Tuesday night at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies find themselves at 3-9. Those nine losses represent the second-most losses within the first 12 games of the season in franchise history, only outdone by a 2-10 start in 2005.

A four-run Atlanta fourth took the life out of the crowd of 26,124 and once again forced the Rockies to try to overcome a large deficit (something that has happened way too often already this season). By the time the Rockies scored their lone run of the night on Ian Desmond‘s RBI single, it was 5-1 in the fifth inning. That’s a lead that can certainly be overcome at 20th and Blake … but not with the offense that the Rockies have been displaying early on.

Colorado pieced together six hits on Tuesday night and not one Rockies player had more than one hit. Manager Bud Black always talks about the need to string hits together. It didn’t happen again on Tuesday and the frustration was evident in Black’s tone after the game.

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“Not good tonight,” Black said matter-of-factly when he was asked about the team’s approach at the plate on Tuesday. In the final three innings, the Rockies struck out six times, helping push them once again into double-digit territory in strikeouts with 10.

“Every team goes through this,” Tony Wolters said after the game. “We just need to stick together, be a family. We have other games to play. We have a bunch more.”

Yes, the Rockies do have 150 games left in the regular season. However, there are plenty of concerns. A banged-up roster that is playing younger players perhaps quicker than anticipated is hoping to find its rhythm at the plate sooner than later. It has to in order to capture some momentum at a time when things look very bleak.

With a blizzard forecast for Wednesday in Denver, Colorado may not get the chance to salvage a game from the Braves for now. However, a day off after six straight losses at home (for just the second time in franchise history) may not be the worst thing in the world. This is a team that is reeling and needs to find its footing.

Next. Here's where there have been positives for the Rockies so far this season. dark

Now at six games below .500, Colorado knows it hasn’t been more than four games below .500 since Bud Black took over as manager. These are indeed rare times in what has been one of the golden ages of the franchise. Questions about this lineup need to be answered or this season-opening slump could well extend beyond just 12 games.

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