One shining star in a disappointing Rockies home opener

There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe the outcome of Friday's Rockies home opener; it was simply bad.

Colorado manufactured only one run in a 10-1 loss to the Phillies, causing their cherished run differential to plummet from +3 to -6.

Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen struggled in the first inning, giving up seven runs to the Phillies, including a three-run home run off the bat of Brandon Marsh. He concluded the afternoon by allowing 9 runs on 12 hits, while walking two and striking out two, increasing his season ERA to 14.73.

Lorenzen expressed excitement about pitching at Coors Field this offseason, focusing on the challenges of pitching at high altitude. He is gaining early experience in this area, which is exactly what he signed up for.

The best part is looking through X (formerly Twitter), where some Rockies reporters or accounts, if you will, claim Colorado can't pitch here, despite other teams consistently performing well against them at the daunting venue. It's quite comical.

There was one bright spot in a disastrous home opener, however.

Valente Bellozo, recently called up during a series of transactions for the Rockies, stole the spotlight. He spent the previous two seasons with the Marlins before signing a minor league deal with the Rockies in February.

Bellozo made a strong first impression during his debut.

The right-handed pitcher saved the bullpen from getting taxed by pitching six strong innings in relief. He had one lapse during the game, allowing a towering home run to Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. That home run was the only run the Phillies scored for the rest of the game.

Bellozo allowed only one run over six solid innings in relief, walking just one batter while striking out seven. His pitch mix was effective, making the Phillies hitters look foolish with his curveball that was working at altitude.

Pitching at high altitude is indeed possible, especially with the mindset that Bellozo demonstrated on Friday afternoon. It is also beneficial when a pitcher is throwing strikes and consistently attacking the strike zone, something Lorenzen had significant difficulty with.