The Rockies were on the cusp of the most incredible comeback since Rocky Balboa decked Clubber Lang.
An exaggeration? Of course. But the Rockies only needed to land one more punch in Rocky’s City of Brotherly Love.
Alas, it never came, and the Phillies escaped with a 7-6 win Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park to complete a three-game sweep. The Rockies, who finished 1-5 on their road trip, are 4-15 to begin the season — the worst start in franchise history.
In the ninth, the Rockies had the tying run at second base in pinch runner Nolan Jones, who was running for Elehuris Montero, who hit a two-out single off lefty Jose Alvarado. Jones swiped second base, but Alvarado got Sean Bouchard to pop out to second baseman Bryson Stott to save the game.
Colorado looked down for the count until it scored five runs in an eighth inning when Philly’s bullpen got wild. The rally included three walks and a clutch two-out, two-run single by Ezequiel Tovar off former Rockie Jeff Hoffman.
But the Rockies’ late-game heroics weren’t enough to overcome another stuttering start. This season, they have been outscored 29-5 in the first inning.
The funny thing is, Wednesday night, they led 1-0 after their first trip to the plate when Tovar singled and came around to score on Elias Diaz’s groundout to short.
Still, Colorado’s rare lead didn’t hold because the Phillies scored four runs on five hits in the first off right-hander Ryan Feltner and then rode an excellent start from left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and power surges by Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to take command.
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Sanchez allowed one run and five hits over six innings. He struck out 10 and walked just one. His fastball-changeup combination baffled Colorado hitters.
Schwarber led off the first with a 432-foot homer off Feltner, and Turner immediately followed up with a line-drive homer to left. Alex Bohm’s RBI double and Brandon Marsh’s RBI single gave Philly its 4-1 lead.
Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Peter Lambert in the sixth, and Turner finished the game a triple short of the cycle.
After his rugged first inning, Feltner pitched relatively well, but the box score still shows six runs surrendered on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Feltner’s ERA climbed to 5.06.
Pitching probables
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 7.98) at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-3, 4.15), 6:40 p.m.
Saturday: Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (0-4, 5.82) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-3, 13.21), 6:10 p.m.
Sunday: Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 6.64) at Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (0-2, 5.57), 1:10 p.m.
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