Rockies' bad season hits a new low with 21-0 loss to Padres
Normally a catcher, Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, right, jokes with San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez, left, after getting him to fly out to end the top of the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Diego Padres' Elias Díaz reacts after striking out against Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, who was called into duty as a relief pitcher, in the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Normally a catcher, Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings works as a relief pitcher against the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Normally a catcher, Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings works as a relief pitcher against the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Normally a catcher, Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, right, jokes with San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez, left, after getting him to fly out to end the top of the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Diego Padres' Elias Díaz reacts after striking out against Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, who was called into duty as a relief pitcher, in the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Normally a catcher, Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings works as a relief pitcher against the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies are reluctant to label themselves in a rebuilding era, but after Saturday night it might be more accurate to say they're imploding.
Colorado hit rock bottom on a season that has gone south from the start, losing 21-0 to the San Diego Padres. It was the Rockies' eighth straight loss and they stand 6-33, the worst 39-game start since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
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Things got so out of hand Saturday night that manager Bud Black used catcher Jacob Stallings for the final two innings – and he proved to be one of their most effective pitchers in the game.
It was the second time in three days Black had a position player take the mound. Infielder Alan Trejo pitched an inning in the nightcap of a doubleheader loss to Detroit on Thursday.
'I hate it, I hate that big time,' Black said. 'It's been a function of where we've been the last four days with the doubleheader and a little bit from our starters. We've had a lot of relievers who pitched a lot lately and you've got to save some arms.'
Saturday's loss was just shy of the largest run differential this season after Cincinnati beat Baltimore 24-2 on April 20.
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Colorado has allowed the most runs in the majors (258) and has been outscored by 134 runs so far this season. The only team since 1900 with a worse run differential thru 39 games was the 2023 A's (-146).
The Tigers and San Diego have contributed to that disparity by scoring double-digit runs in every game on this homestand and outscoring the Rockies 63-18. Colorado has given up six or more runs in their last seven games.
'We've been going through it as a team, and it's not any fun,' Stallings said. 'We've been talking about it as a group, trying to have more fun. Obviously, it's not easy when you're down that much.'
The lack of defense — Colorado has committed 10 errors in the last five games — and offense is magnified when the offense is absent. Padres starter Stephen Kolek tossed a five-hit shutout in his second major league start at a notoriously tough venue for pitchers.
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His team kept him on the bench for long stretches while putting up crooked numbers, so he had to go into the tunnel and toss warmup pitches.
'Whenever they were putting up five to eight runs an inning it tends to get kind of cold in the dugout, so you've got to warm yourself back up,' he said.
San Diego catcher Elias Diaz, who played four-plus seasons for the Rockies before being dealt to the Padres last season, said his heart goes out to his former team.
'Oh yeah, 100%,' he said. 'I played here for like five years and there's a lot of emotion. But it's baseball; we've got a job to do.'
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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