Rockies Blow Five-run Lead, Fall to Rays

Harold Ramirez of the Rays scoring against the Rockies

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

April 7, 2024

Rays 8, Rockies 6

DENVER, Apr. 6 — The wind blew hard all night Saturday, wreaking havoc throughout Coors Field. And in the seventh and eighth innings, the Colorado Rockies blew a five-run lead, ultimately falling to the Tampa Bay Rays, 8–6.

The late meltdown wasted an outstanding effort from starting pitcher Ryan Feltner. He allowed one run on two hits and two walks across six innings. Additionally, Feltner struck out 10, a career high. It was the first time a Rockies starter fanned nine or more since August 21, 2021.

“He threw the ball great,” manager Bud Black said. “Really good fastball, a lot of strikeouts with the fastball, which was good to see. That should give him some confidence moving forward with the fastball. The slider came into play, too. A couple of changeups to a couple of their lefties. But I thought he threw outstanding. The ball strike ratio the first couple innings was not very good. Then, all of a sudden, he turned it around and started throwing a ton of strikes. One of the best outings of his career.”

“I was attacking everywhere in the zone with my two-seam (fastball) and four-seam,” Feltner said. “That sets up my other stuff nicely.” He added, “I had a really good gameplan with (Diaz). We were on the same page all night, and I had a lot of things working.”

Rockies – Rays Game Summary

The Rays took the lead in the top of the first on a two-out looping single to shallow right by Isaac Paredes. It was a short-lived lead, as the Rockies tied it up on a one-out solo shot by Ryan McMahon in the bottom of the second. The Rockies took a 2–1 lead in the bottom of the third on a single to center by catcher Elias Diaz. They extended the lead to 4–1 in the fourth with a two-run homer to left by right fielder Michael Toglia.

More scoring came in the bottom of the sixth. Center fielder Brenton Doyle cracked a wind-aided two-run home run to right, giving the Rockies a 6–1 lead. The Rays made it 6–3 in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run double to right by Ben Rortvedt off Jake Bird.

The Meltdown

Tyler Kinley took the mound in a setup role for the Rockies in the top of the eighth. With two outs, he surrendered a homer to left by Paredes. A single to right by Richie Palacios and double to right-center by Harold Ramirez followed, chasing Kinley from the game with the score now 6–5. Jalen Beeks could not hold the one-run lead, coughing up a game-tying single to left by Amed Rosario.

Walks by Rortvedt and Siri loaded the bases and ended Beeks’ night. Justin Lawrence came in and induced a hard grounder to the right side from Yandy Diaz. Toglia, who had moved to first base for defensive reasons, was in position to make the play. But the ball took a wicked hop, catapulting over the glove of the sure-handed Toglia and into right field. Both Rosario and Rortvedt scored, putting the Rays ahead, 8–6. Rays relievers Jason Adam and Colin Poche pitched a 1–2–3 eighth and ninth, respectively, to slam the door on the Rockies.

wheee!! pic.twitter.com/afD8fZYlEy

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 7, 2024

What Went Right for the Rockies

Starting Pitching

By lasting six innings and allowing one earned run, Feltner made the first Quality Start (6+ IP, 3 ER or fewer) by a Rockies pitcher in 2024. Not only do teams usually win when their starter makes a Quality Start (win percentage is roughly 65%), but it typically avoids having to use lots of relievers.

Offensive Production

The Rockies pumped out 11 hits. Five went for extra bases, and three were homers. Eight of the starters had at least one hit. Diaz, Tovar, and Doyle each had two.

What Went Wrong for the Rockies

Relief Pitching

Rockies relievers allowed seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings combined. For the series, they have allowed 12 runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. The struggles in Saturday’s game forced them to use four relievers instead of three, and it forced them to use Lawrence for four outs and 25 pitches a day after he threw 17.

“There’s concern for sure,” Black said. “The last couple of nights haven’t gone our way. We have two outs in the eighth, with three of our most seasoned pitchers out there trying to get that last out that we couldn’t get.”

The Top of the Eighth

The top of the eighth was disastrous, as the three-run lead became a two-run deficit. In that frame, the Rays sent 10 men to the plate. The Rockies had to use three pitchers to get through it. Kinley faced five batters. He got off to a good start, retiring the first two. But the next three got hits: a homer, a single, and a double. He threw 18 pitches and only recorded two outs. Beeks threw twelve pitches. Only three were strikes. He faced the minimum three but did not record an out.

Beeks frankly said after the game, “Everybody knows it’s tough to pitch here. That’s a given. But I still gotta do my job, and I failed at it today. Feltner pitched great. Offense did really well. I had to come in and keep that guy at third, and it didn’t happen. Two walks are unacceptable. In the end, I gotta figure out how to stay in the zone and get guys out.”

Quotes

“There are stretches during the season where it goes like this. It’s a little bit magnified because it’s early. You always want to win those games when you have a lead late in the game, you really do, because you put yourself in a position to win. And those guys know. Kinley’s a veteran. Beeks is a veteran. Lawrence has been around. Nobody feels worse than those guys. Those are our guys. So it’s a tough one. They’ll take it hard. You talk to them, they’ll stand up and say it. But we gotta get the ball in the strike zone. We gotta make better pitches in better locations.” — Black on the relief pitching struggles in this series

“I felt good with all my pitches. Was attacking the zone. Strikeouts are like home runs for hitters. You don’t really try to get them, but if you’re doing the right thing, they’ll come along.” — Feltner on his strikeout tally

“In the end, I gotta be in the zone. That’s the biggest thing with me. It’s not about the ball. It’s not about anything. Walking two guys right there—it’s unacceptable.” — Beeks on his outing

“Those guys will regroup. We need them. They’re our guys.” — Black on Bird, Beeks, Kinley, and Lawrence

“You feel for the guys. That’s the number one thought that comes to my mind. We’re gonna be okay; we’re gonna pull it together, and we’re gonna be just fine. I believe in these guys, and everybody in here believes in each other.” — Feltner on the reliever struggles

Quick Hits

The first run of the game was the 18th first-inning run the Rockies have allowed, the most in the majors. This marks the 15th straight game in which the Rockies’ opponents have scored first, dating to last season. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the longest such streak in the majors since 15 straight by the Philadelphia Phillies from June 13–29, 1996. Additionally, it is the longest such streak in Rockies franchise history.

As mentioned earlier, Feltner was the first Rockies starter to fan nine or more since August 21, 2021. Kyle Freeland whiffed 10 Arizona Diamondbacks that day in a 5–2 Rockies victory. The Rockies won that game on a three-run walkoff homer by Elias Diaz. Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Rockies were the only team in the majors to have no starting pitcher strike out at least nine.

Looking Ahead

Cleavinger (1–0) earned the win, with Beeks (1–1) taking the loss, both in relief.

The Rockies (2–7) and Rays (4–5) will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon. Rockies righty Dakota Hudson (0–0, 0.00 ERA) will face Rays righty Ryan Pepiot (0–1, 9.53 ERA). First pitch will be at 1:10 pm Mountain Time.