The Rockies fell to the Cardinals 6-2 on Monday night, marking their 100th game of the season. The turning point came in the fourth inning when Wilson Contreras hit a solo home run, sparking a four-inning stretch in which St. Louis tallied 12 hits. Former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado played a key role, going 2-for-4 with a double and a single.
The Cardinals were highly efficient with runners in scoring position, going 7-for-18, an area where Colorado has consistently struggled this season.
Missed Opportunities:
Colorado had early chances to build momentum. Mickey Moniak led off the first with a single but never advanced beyond second. In the second inning, Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle also singled, but Doyle was thrown out trying to steal second, and McMahon was tagged out at home after running on contact during a ground ball.
The Rockies finally broke through in the third when Adael Amador scored from first after a misplay by St. Louis center fielder Victor Scott II. Moniak followed with an RBI and later scored on a Hunter Goodman single to give Colorado a 2-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last long.
Pitching Report:
Starter Austin Gomber opened strong, retiring nine straight after giving up two singles to start the game. But things unraveled in the fourth inning. Gomber allowed a series of well-placed hits and was unable to recover, ultimately dropping to 0-4 on the season. He described his outing as a matter of “throwing the wrong pitch at the wrong time too many times.”
In relief, Tyler Kinley delivered 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Jake Bird pitched a clean ninth after a string of recent struggles.
Quick Hits:
- Turning Point: The Rockies failed to respond after Amador’s leadoff single in the eighth inning.
- Stat of the Game: Colorado first basemen are hitting just .077 since the All-Star break. Michael Toglia went 1-for-10 over the weekend; Orlando Arcia was 0-for-3 on Monday.
Next Up:
Bradley Blalock is scheduled to start for Colorado in the next game, with Erick Fedde taking the mound for St. Louis. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. MDT on Tuesday.
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