The Rockies’ 5-0 loss to the Phillies was a quick, but hardly painless.
Phillies right-hander Ranger Suarez pitched a complete game shutout Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, taking 2 hours and 7 minutes. It was the fourth-shortest nine-inning game in the ballpark’s history.
Suarez scattered seven hits — all singles — struck out eight and walked one, whittling his ERA to 1.73. His sinker confounded the Rockies and induced 12 outs via groundballs. It was Suarez’s second shutout of his career.
Tuesday’s game was the second complete game shutout in the majors this season. The other was thrown by Houston’s Ronel Blanco, who threw a no-hitter vs. the Blue Jays on April 2. Suarez pitched the Phillies’ first shutout since Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter against the Nationals on Aug. 9 of last season.
The Rockies, meanwhile, have picked up right where they left off from their 103-loss 2023 season. Their 4-14 start to the season is their worst record through 18 games in franchise history.
“It’s tough,” Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters in Philadelphia. “We have a lot of young guys cutting their teeth as young players. … This is (about getting) experience hitting against major league pitchers. Our guys will benefit from it. We got a few hits, but we just couldn’t bunch them together.”
Two baserunning errors cost the Rockies and provided some help for Suarez, not that he needed it. In the sixth, second baseman Alan Trejo, getting a rare start as he filled in for the under-the-weather Brendan Rodgers, got hung up between third and home on Ryan McMahon’s infield single to short and Trejo was tagged out.
In the seventh, Elehuris Montero rocketed the ball off the left-field wall and tried to stretch the single into a double. Montero, however, was thrown out when Brandon Marsh played the ball perfectly and threw a strike to second baseman Bryson Stott, who tagged out Montero with room to spare.
Colorado lefty Austin Gomber deserved a better fate, something he shares with his rotation mates, who have been pitching well but getting virtually no run support from a Rockies offense floundering amid mounting strikeouts and poor at-bats. Colorado has scored just one run and has been shut out twice in its last three games.
Gomber gave up three runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked none. But two misplaced curveballs cost him. J.T. Realmuto banged a two-run homer to center in the first, and Bryce Harper lifted an RBI double to left-center in the sixth to score Trea Turner.
“Realmuto is an All-Star and he took advantage of a hanging breaking ball, but ‘Gomy’ pitched really well, he really did,” Black said. “He’s a pitcher that we know will compete every day, but our starter got outpitched by their guy.”
Philly added two runs in the eighth with Harper’s two-run homer off struggling right-hander Tyler Kinley, who has a 12.86 ERA.
One bright spot for Colorado has been the relief work of Victor Vodnik, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, walked none and struck out two. He has yet to be scored upon this season.
Wednesday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 3.38 ERA) at Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (0-2, 3.52)
4:05 p.m. (MDT) Wednesday, Citizens Bank Park
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
Feltner, making his fourth start of the season, is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA in four previous starts against the Phillies, including a 1-1 record and a 3.77 ERA in three starts at Citizens Bank Park. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Philly on April 20 last season. Feltner is coming off a solid start in Toronto, where he allowed two runs on eight hits over five innings. On April 6 vs. Tampa Bay at Coors Field, he struck out 10, the first Rockies pitcher to record 10-plus strikeouts since 2021.
Sanchez is coming off a tough loss against Pittsburgh. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out six across six innings. Sanchez has faced the Rockies just once. That was last season at Citizens Bank Park. He got a no-decision after pitching 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Pitching probables
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 7.98) at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-3, 4.15), 6:40 p.m.
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