Colorado Rockies: Why Friday’s loss was the worst in franchise history

Let’s face it, there have been a lot of bad and painful losses in the history of the Colorado Rockies. Ask any Rockies fan and they will tell you the loss that still haunts them to this day.

Some will bring up the Adam Ottavino wild pitch game in Los Angeles. Some will bring up the 2018 Father’s Day meltdown in Texas. Some will remember the blown saves in Milwaukee last year and some will flash back to seasons of long ago. How about the 2007 World Series sweep (pick any game you like)? Again, there are plenty of moments in Colorado Rockies history that can make the skin crawl and kick off the cold sweats.

But there are plenty of reasons to think why Colorado’s 16-12, 12-inning loss at Coors Field to the San Diego Padres on Friday night was not only one to forget but also the worst defeat in franchise history.

Not that you need a reminder, but don’t forget that Colorado was up 11-4 heading into the eighth before the Padres reeled off 12 unanswered runs. The Rockies had a 99.7 percent chance of winning this game … with one out in the ninth … and still lost.

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Take any other loss from the past and stack it up against this one. It won’t compare. It was the 69th game of the season but it was anything but nice for Colorado.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of these numbers.

First (and the most startling), according to Elias Sports Bureau, entering Friday, road teams had lost 3,805 straight games when training by at least six runs after eight innings. Remember, that’s across Major League Baseball. San Diego trailed 11-5 heading into the ninth but sent 11 men to the plate against Mike Dunn and closer Wade Davis to tie the contest.

Second, San Diego was 0-766 all-time when trailing by six runs entering the ninth (Elias Sports).

Third, the Rockies blew a six-run, ninth-inning lead, marking the first time the Rockies ever surrendered a lead of six or more runs in the ninth, win or lose (Elias Sports). Colorado had lost a five-run, ninth-inning lead twice, with the last time coming in August of 2003 in Pittsburgh.

Colorado made history on Friday night … and not in a good way. That sick feeling in the stomachs of so many Rockies fans was justified. After all, nothing like this had ever happened in the history of the franchise.