The Rockies didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hades against the Mariners Saturday night at frigid Coors Field.
Not with right-hander Luis Castillo baffling hitters for seven splendid innings and Colorado’s defense taking the night off as right fielder Sean Bouchard and center fielder Brenton Doyle both committed sloppy errors. First baseman Elehuris Montero was initially charged with another error, but the ruling was reversed after the game.
For the record, Seattle blanked the Rockies, 7-0, sending them to their sixth consecutive loss. It was Colorado’s fourth shutout this season.
The Rockies’ 4-16 record is the worst over the first 20 games in franchise history. For some sobering perspective, the infamously bad 1962 Mets were also 4-16 in their inaugural season.
Unfazed by a first-pitch temperature of 33 degrees — the sixth coldest for a Rockies home game in club history — Castillo pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out nine and walking one. He allowed just two hits — a two-out single by Elias Diaz in the fourth and a fluke two-out single by Bouchard in the fifth. Bouchard popped the ball up to first baseman Ty France, but France lost the ball in a flurry of snowflakes.
“His fastball played up in the zone really well,” said left fielder Nolan Jones, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Castillo. “I think we knew that was coming, but he executed really well. He also used his other pitches to keep us off the fastball.”
It was a case of déjà vu for Castillo, who extended his scoreless streak against the Rockies to 14 innings. On April 16 of last season, he carried a perfect game into the seventh and ended up allowing two hits and striking out nine batters over seven innings in the Mariners’ 1-0 victory in Seattle.
“Going in, we knew he was going to pitch with the fastball at the top (of the zone),” manager Bud Black said. “He also throws a good slider and a change. Our approach was, ‘Be ready for the fastball.’
“We were ready for it. So, I think the approach was fine. We just swung through it and we didn’t connect on the fastball.”
Rockies starter Dakota Hudson deserved a little better fate than what he was handed. But only a little. After all, he issued five walks in his four-plus innings, including two leadoff walks, and threw 91 pitches. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits.
“I can’t really make any excuses,” said Hudson, whose five walks tied his career high. “I was trying to get a grip of (the ball on a cold night), but I just have to be better, honestly. The misses were arm-side, and I have to make better adjustments going through the game.”
Seattle’s four-run fifth was a disaster for the Rockies and clinched the game.
It began with Cal Raleigh drawing a leadoff walk off of Hudson, who quickly got the hook from Black. In came Victor Vodnik, who was unscored upon in 12 1/3 innings entering the night. He was greeted by back-to-back singles by France and Mitch Garver, loading the bases.
Then came Bouchard’s miscue. Jonatan Clase skidded a single into right field, and Bouchard let the ball go under his glove as three runs scored. Clase almost had a Little League homer but was thrown out at the plate.
“The coaches and I, and the team, have been pleased with the defense, but tonight it let us down a little bit,” Black said.
Raleigh, who had a career-high four hits, led off the second with a homer to left and added an RBI single in the third to put Seattle up 2-0.
Montero’s mistake opened the door for another Seattle run in the fourth. Montero drifted too far off first to field J.P. Crawford’s grounder, leaving no one to cover the bag. Sure enough, Julio Rodriguez immediately followed with a two-out RBI single to score Josh Rojas and gave Seattle a 3-0 lead.
Sunday’s pitching matchups
Game 1: Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 6.64 ERA) at Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (0-2, 5.57)
Game 2: Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 7.98) at Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (2-0, 2.31)
1:10 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Quantrill is coming off a strong start at Philadelphia, where he allowed one run on four hits and two walks with one strikeout over six innings. It was the right-hander’s second consecutive quality start and the first time he allowed three or fewer runs this season. He’s pitched against the Mariners four times (three starts), going 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA. Quantrill is still trying to find his footing at Coors Field, where he is 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in six games (three starts).
Kirby has faced Colorado once in his career, earning the victory and allowing two runs on 6 1/3 innings. He’s never pitched at Coors Field. Last Monday, he notched a win over Cincinnati, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out six in six innings.
Lambert will make his first start this season, replacing left-hander Kyle Freeland in the rotation. Freeland went on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left elbow strain. Lambert was reliable in his role as Colorado’s long reliever. He has never faced Seattle.
Hancock is facing the Rockies for the first time. In his last start, he lost to the Cubs but surrendered just two runs on four hits over six innings. He issued no walks and struck out four during his first quality start of the season, which significantly improved over his previous outing vs. Milwaukee, when he got rocked for eight runs over 3 1/3 innings.
Pitching probables
Monday: Padres RHP Dylan Cease (2-1, 1.99) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-1, 4.95), 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Padres RHP Michael King (2-1, 3.33) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.06), 6:40 p.m.
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