Among the riddles facing the Rockies is how to find a winning formula at Coors Field. Because, right now, it’s a home-field disadvantage.
The Rockies’ 5-3 loss to Arizona on a 98-degree, desert-like Saturday night in LoDo dropped their home record to 7-29, the worst home record in the majors and their worst start through 36 home games in franchise history.
Colorado has been outscored 277-150 (minus-127) at home this year, the worst run differential through the first 36 home games of a season since the 1897 St. Louis Browns (minus-135), per Opta STATS.
Geraldo Perdomo’s two-run homer in the fifth off reliever Jimmy Herget lifted Arizona to its eighth win in its last 10 games. It improved the D-backs’ record over the Rockies to 23-8 since 2023.
Rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist pitched well enough to give the Rockies a chance, but in a recurring theme, the Rockies lacked the big hit in the clutch, going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies are batting .224 with runners in scoring position at Coors.
However, Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer wasn’t fretting over the RISP numbers because, he said, his club his making progress with its clutch hitting.
“You’ve got to drive in runs, but last night we scored eight runs, and we scored a bunch of runs on the (road trip), so it’s been trending better,” Schaeffer said, referring to Arizona’s 14-8 victory at Coors on Friday night.
Maybe so, but the Rockies’ third straight loss dropped their record to 17-60, tied with the 1907 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1932 Boston Red Sox for the most losses to begin a season in the modern era. The 1904 Washington Senators were 14-60-3 after 77 games.
A key moment arrived in the seventh when Rockies designated hitter Mickey Moniak led off with a double but was picked off second base by reliever Ryan Thompson.
“Everybody knows that Thompson has a really, really plus move,” Schaeffer said. “We knew that. We just got picked off.”
Moniak added: “He got me, plain and simple. You can’t get picked off there. That was 100% on me. He does have a good move, but I have to be better in that situation.”
Jordan Beck hit a 415-foot, two-run homer off Merrill Kelly in the first inning, giving the Rockies a short-lived 2-1 lead. It was Beck’s 10th homer.
Kelly was terrific, as he always is against Colorado, striking out seven over six innings and giving up three runs, just two earned. The veteran right-hander notched the 60th win of his career, joining Randy Johnson (118) and Brandon Webb (87) as the only D-backs pitchers to win 60 games. Kelly is 8-0, with a 1.72 ERA over his last 11 outings against the Rockies since 2022, all of them quality starts.
Given Colorado’s taxed bullpen, perhaps the club needed Palmquist to go deeper into the game than four innings, but at least he kept the Rockies in the game, departing with the score tied 3-3.
Schaeffer said he took Palmquist out, in part, because the top of Arizona’s order, especially Ketel Marte (4 for 4, two doubles) and cleanup hitter Eugenio Suarez (sacrifice in the first, solo homer in the third), had hit Palmquist hard.
All told, Palmquist gave up four hits and two walks while striking out four. Marte scored Tim Tawa with an RBI double in the second, and Suarez’s homer was a 438-foot monster to right. Suarez has 25 homers and 67 RBIs, and the season hasn’t hit its halfway point.
Palmquist finished strong with a one-two-three fourth inning, striking out Pavin Smith and Tawa and getting Aramis Garcia to line out to left. Palmquist, who threw 62 pitches (39 strikes), is 0-4 with a 7.63 ERA over his first seven big-league starts. Palmquist is the first starter in franchise history to not reach the sixth inning at least once in their first seven starts
“Kind of, in the first inning, it was tough to locate anything, but as I kept going on, each pitch was getting better as the game was going on,” Palmquist said. “I thought I had good fastball command, and in the fourth inning, the changeup was huge.”
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