Rockies Defeat Phillies 4-1 in Series Opener

By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Editor 

WP: Kuhl (1-0, 0.87) LP: Nola (1-2, 5.52) S: Colome (1)

Colorado used a two-run 6th and a two-run 7th along lights out pitching from Chad Kuhl and their bullpen to down the Phillies 4-1 in the series opener on Monday Night. Aaron Nola didn’t pitch poorly, 5.1 IP, 6H, 2R, 2ER, 4K, but was once again on the losing end for the Phillies. With the loss, the have now lost 12-of-15 in Colorado and fall to 4-7 on the season. 

When you think of Coors Field and baseball in Denver the last thing that pops into your mind is “pitcher’s duel.”  But that’s what we had through 6-innings on Monday night. Rockies’ starter Chad Kuhl and Phillies’ pitcher Aaron Nola both took shutouts into the 6th inning.  For the Phillies, Nola was unable to make it through the 6th and that’s when the wheels fell off.

Charlie Blackmon led off the Rockies' bottom of the inning with a solo homerun to center field to break the scoreles tie and give Colorado a 1-0 lead.  Nola was able to get the next batter, Randal Grichuk, to ground out to third for the first out of the inning.  CJ Cron followed with a single to right field spelling the end of the night for Nola after 5-1/3 innings.  Not a horrible outting for Nola but he once again begins to leak oil when it gets into the middle innings.  

Phillies manager Joe Girardi brought in Jose Alvarado to replace Nola and the move proved to be disastrous.

Alvarado unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Cron, the responsibility of Nola, to advance to second.  Cron was moved to third on a ground out for out number two.  Alvarado uncorked another wild pitch allowing Cron to score and giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead.  

James Norwood replaced Alvarado in the bottom of the 7th and proved just as ineffective.  Norwood gave up a leadoff single to Sam Hilliard. A two-out walk to Blackmon would also come back to hurt Norwood. Hilliard and Blackmon scored on a two-out double by Randal Grichuk to give the Rockies a 4-0 lead.  

The Phillies offense was held to two hits and three baserunners total through the first seven innings by Rockies’ pitchers Kuhl and Tyler Kinley.  There was no reason to expect anything other than six up and six down from the Rockies ‘pen to end the night.  But once again, the Phillies offense decided to come to life in the later innings. 

Alec Bohm led off the 8th with a single to center and Jean Segura followed with a single to right off of Colorado’s Carlos Estevez. Just like that, two batters and two hits for the Phillies who had only been able to muster two hits the whole night.  It looked like the Phillies were about to solve Colorado’s impenetrable bullpen.  

Bryson Stott lined out to right for the first out of the inning, but it was a productive out moving Bohm to third. Pinch hitter Didi Gregorius got the Phils on the board with a double to left, scoring Bohm and moving Segura to third.  Down 4-1 with one out and Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins, and Kyle Schwarber coming up is exactly the type of scenario the Phillies were looking for when they signed these guys. In theory, with hitters like that the Phillies should never be out of a game. 

In theory…

Anyways, Colorado went back to the bullpen and brought in Jhoulys Chacin and he promptly forced Realmuto to hit into an inning ending double play.  The Phillies opportunity vanished into the thin Denver air like a drag from a joint. 

Back to that “muder’s row” of Phillies batters, they went quietly in the 9th against Colorado closer Alex Colome.  Harper grounded out to first and Castellanos flew out to center for the first two outs of the inning.  Hoskins was able to work a walk and advance to third thanks to two defensive indifferences from Colorado.  Schwarber ended the Phillies night with a whimper, grounding out to first for the final out. 

Scoring Summary

COL, B6: Blackmon (1) HR to center (1-0)

COL, B6: Cron scores on a wild pitch by Alvarado (2-0)

COL, B7: Grichuk doubles to right, Hilliard and Blackmon score (4-0)

PHI, T8: Gregorious doubles to left, Bohm scores (4-1)

Stars of the Game

• Colorado SP Cody Kuhl: 6 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 4K, moves to 1-0 with 0.87 ERA
• Colorado RF Charlie Blackmon: 1-for-2, 2R, 1BB, 1HR 1RBI
• Colorado CF Randal Grichuk: 1-for-4, 2B, 2RBI, 1K

Next Game

Date: Tuesday, April 19 vs. Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, CO

First Pitch: 8:40 PM/Eastern

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia +

Radio: 94.1 WIP-FM and the Phillies Radio Network

Pitching Probables: Kyle Gibson (1-1, 3.09) vs. Kyle Freeland (0-2, 10.00)