One big swing and 14 whiffs doomed the Rockies on Sunday afternoon.
Dominated by veteran right-hander Merrill Kelly, the Rockies were blanked, 1-0, by the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Colorado managed just three hits and was shut out for the seventh time.
“(Kelly) is a really good pitcher,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Phoenix. “We were ahead in a lot of counts today, but we just didn’t capitalize on balls in the zone to hit. He changes speeds so well. He nibbles. He’s just a really good pitcher, and we didn’t have an answer for him today.”
The game’s only run came on Ketel Marte’s one-out homer off Rockies rookie right-hander Chase Dollander in the first inning. From that point on, it was a game of zeroes, and Dollander showed why he’s got the stuff to be Colorado’s No. 1 pitcher of the future. Perhaps he is already.
“Honestly, every time out there is a growth moment and I’m always learning something,” Dollander told Rockies.TV after pitching 4 2/3 innings. “Today, especially, was a huge mental test — and I think I did a good job.
“I didn’t have my stuff, and I was fighting cramps pretty much all game, and I didn’t feel the best coming into it. I just had to grind through it and try to get through five (innings).”
In a microcosm of this season of miscontent, Colorado struck out 14 times for the third time in its last four games. The Rockies’ 8-38 record is the worst in the modern era (since 1901) through 46 games.
The Rockies had a huge chance in the ninth against reliever Shelby Miller, loading the bases on a single by Kyle Farmer, a double by Hunter Goodman and an intentional walk to Ryan McMahon. But Miller got the slumping Brenton Doyle to pop out, and Michael Toglia lined out sharply to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to end the game.
“If that ball Mike hits in the ninth gets through? We probably win that game,” Schaffer said.
Doyle is hitting 5 for 36 (.138) over his 10 games and .135 over his last 24 games since coming off the bereavement list.
Pinch runner Tyler Freeman (running for Farmer) might have had a chance to score from first on Goodman’s double, but he held up, waiting to see if Arizona right fielder Corbin Carroll made the catch. Carroll could not, but Freeman had to stop at third.
A day after they exploded for five homers and 19 hits in a 14-12 victory over the Diamondbacks, the Rockies had no chance vs. Kelly, who allowed one hit over seven innings. Kelly was sensational, mixing and matching all of his pitches. His 11 K’s were one short of his career high.
Kelly owns the Rockies, and probably their next of kin. He’s posted 10 consecutive quality starts against them, going 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA and 72 strikeouts. In his last five home starts vs. the Rockies, he’s 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
Dollander was out of sync in the first inning and needed 38 pitches to scramble through it. That’s why his outing was so short. Marte ripped a one-out homer to right on a 1-2, 99.3 mph fastball. Dollander then walked Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Josh Naylor in succession.
Disaster loomed, but Dollander struck out Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith to end the inning. Dollander shut out the D-backs for the rest of his outing and finished with a fine line: one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Over his last two starts, the right-hander has yielded only three runs on three hits with 13 K’s over 11 2/3 innings.
Asked if Sunday was another “growth moment” for Dollander, Schaeffer said, “One hundred percent. I think he was a little amped up, but then he settled in and really powered through for us.”
The Rockies finished their six-game road trip 1-5 and are now 3-22 on the road. They return to Coors Field on Monday to open a four-game series vs. the Phillies.
Monday’s pitching matchup
Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (4-1, 2.91 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-6, 6.15)
6:40 p.m. Monday, 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
Trending: Freeland is struggling, at least in the win-loss column. Despite recording his fourth quality start of the season, he was saddled with his seventh consecutive losing decision in his last start on Tuesday in Texas. He allowed three runs in the first inning before pitching five scoreless innings from the second through sixth. It marked the first time in his career that the veteran lefty had not had a winning decision in his first nine starts of a season.
Pitching probables
Tuesday: Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (4-0, 2.00) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-7, 6.39), 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Phillies RHP Taijuan Walker (1-3, 2.62) at Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-1, 11.25), 6:40 p.m.
Thursday: Phillies LHP Ranger Suárez (2-0, 5.09) at Rockies RHP Germán Márquez (1-6, 8.78), 1:10 p.m.
— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
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Originally Published: May 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM MDT
