The Colorado Rockies lost to the San Francisco Giants Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field, 11-8.
The loss solidified a series sweep for the Giants who own a 5-8 record versus the Rockies this season. The loss dropped Colorado’s record to 46-50 on the year.
Ahead are takeaways from the loss.
Gray gets roughed up
It was a rough day on the mound for Rockies’ starting pitcher Jon Gray.
Gray has been the Rockies best starting pitcher this season and was looking to end the club’s three-game losing streak Wednesday.
Gray was noticeably off his game the moment he stepped on the rubber. San Francisco logged two hits to start the game with Pablo Sandoval then ripping a two-run double to establish an early lead for the Giants.
Mike Yastrzemski later drove home Sandoval, making the score 3-0 after the first inning.
Gray proceeded to buckle down throughout the middle of the portion of the game but fell into trouble again in the fifth inning. Pitching with a one-run lead, Gray coughed up a two-run home run to Stephen Vogt to re-establish a lead for San Francisco.
The Rockies managed to tie the game at five runs apiece in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Gray’s struggles continued as he surrendered another home run, this time to Donovan Solano, whose solo shot pushed the Giants in front of the Rockies 6-5.
After surrendering a hit and issuing a walk, Rockies’ skipper Bud Black proceeded to yank Gray from the game.
Gray departed with a line of 5.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs on 11 hits while striking out three.
McMahon keeps it close
This year has been littered with ups and downs for Rockies’ infielder, Ryan McMahon. The 24-year-old has split time between first and second base this season while hitting all throughout the Rockies’ lineup.
McMahon made his presence felt with the bat versus the Giants, collecting a pair of hits, including a home run in the fourth inning to provide the Rockies with their first lead of the series versus San Francisco.
#BigMac 🍔 gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/WfsMN30J43
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 17, 2019
McMahon has been dialed in at the plate as of late, hitting .347 (17-for-49) with four doubles, one triple and three home runs in his last 13 starts.
Dahl goes down, labeled day-to-day
Injuries are nothing new to Rockies’ outfielder David Dahl. The All-Star has battled injuries since his Major League debut in 2016.
Dahl spent time on the injured list at the start of the season and endured another injury scare versus the Giants.
Dahl fouled a ball off of his foot in the bottom of the first inning and had a noticeable limp when walking around. Dahl initially stayed in the game but was pulled in the third inning in favor of Garrett Hampson.
The club officially labeled the injury as a left foot contusion and listed his status as day-to-day. Dahl will undergo further evaluation before the team heads to New York to face off against the Yankees.
Dahl has been one of the Rockies’ best hitters this season, entering Wednesday’s contest with a .303 batting average to pair with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs.
A homestand to forget
One of the best traits a professional athlete can have is a short memory. The Rockies will need to forget their first homestand out of the All-Star break rather quickly.
The Rockies posted an abysmal 2-5 record over their seven games at Coors Field which includes an active four-game losing streak. Additionally, the Rockies have a record of 2-10 so far in the month of July.
Both the Reds and Giants manhandled the Rockies as Colorado’s pitching woes continued to shine bright.
Things will not get any easier as the Rockies are now set to embark on a season-long, 11-day road trip against the Yankees, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds.