The Rockies’ offense, which should not be confused with a candy bar, might be best described as extremely terrible.
Too harsh? Not after the Rockies returned from a 1-7 road trip and promptly lost 5-0 to the Giants on a cold Tuesday night at Coors Field. Colorado, which now has an 8-27 record, was shut out for the sixth time this season.
Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison performed very well against the Rockies for seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits (all singles), walking two, and striking out two. He forced 11 outs via groundballs.
The Rockies created some excitement in the ninth when Brendan Rodgers and Sean Bouchard earned one-out walks off reliever Camilo Doval, but he struck out Jacob Stallings and Elehuris Montero to finish the game.
The Giants’ game-sealing, four-run fourth inning was filled with good fortune and a couple of timely hits. Matt Chapman drew a one-out walk off Hudson and raced to third on Blake Sabol’s strong single to right. Chapman scored on Nick Ahmed’s swinging base-hit bunt that third baseman Ryan McMahon couldn’t field cleanly.
Jung Hoo Lee followed with another fortunate infield hit, again to McMahon, and Thairo Estrada’s groundout to second scored Sabol from third. That was it for Hudson. He was replaced by lefty Ty Blach, who came in to face the left-handed hitting LaMonte Wade Jr. But manager Bud Black’s left-on-left strategy didn’t work out. Wade, who’s hitting .355, hit Blach’s 1-2 sinker into right field, driving in two runs.
Hudson and Stallings, the experienced catcher, were the Rockies’ only two free-agent acquisitions. The Hudson signing has not worked out, at least not so far. In 3 2/3 innings Tuesday, he was charged with four runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out two. After seven starts, Hudson is 0-6 with a 6.35 ERA.
San Francisco’s fifth run came in the seventh on Michael Conforto’s run-scoring single off Blach. Estrada led off the inning with a single off Blach and moved into scoring position when Blach walked Wade.
There are a lot of statistics that help explain the worst start in Rockies history, but one of the most telling is this: With runners in scoring position, opposing teams are hitting .343 (108 for 315) against Rockies pitchers.
Rockies’ Wednesday pitching matchup
Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (2-1, 1.89 ERA) at Rockies RHP Peter Lambert (2-1, 5.66)
6:40 p.m. Wednesday, 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
Lambert wants to be a permanent part of the starting rotation, but to do that, he’s got to find some consistency. In his two starts this season, he is 0-1 with a 14.21 ERA. In his seven games as a long reliever, he is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA. In his last start, he was chased after just 3 1/3 innings, having allowed four runs on five hits at Miami. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.95 ERA in five games (four starts) vs. the Giants. He got hammered at San Francisco’s Oracle Park on Sept. 10 last season, allowing six runs on eight hits, including three home runs.
Some experts questioned whether it was a good idea for the Giants to change Hicks from a relief pitcher to a starting pitcher after they signed him in the offseason. However, it has been successful so far, despite Hicks losing last Friday against the Phillies, giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks in four innings. He also had three strikeouts. In his first seven starts, he has not allowed more than two earned runs. In seven relief appearances against Colorado, he has a 1-1 record with a 4.70 ERA over 7 2/3 innings. In three appearances at Coors Field, he has a 4.50 ERA over four innings.
Pitching probables
Thursday: Giants right-handed pitcher Keaton Winn (3-4, 4.41) will face Rockies right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill (1-3, 4.31) at 1:10 p.m.
Friday: Rangers right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning (3-2, 4.10) will face Rockies left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber (0-2, 3.79) at 6:40 p.m.
