A defeat is bad — a blowout loss is even worse. The Chicago Cubs know exactly how it feels tonight in Coors Field with an inexplicable 17-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
They had no hitting and plenty of bad pitching. The 17-run loss is their worst this season after a 16-5 defeat by the Atlanta Braves on Opening Day.
Giving up 12 runs and 13 hits in the eighth inning is the last thing any Cubs fan would like to see. The Cubs seem like a team made up of amateurs facing a major league team for the first time.
On the other hand, it is a well-deserved victory for the Colorado Rockies to start a mini five game homestand at Coors Field after a terrible road trip (3-11).
The game was pretty much decided early in the game. After pitching through a one-hit two innings to start the game, Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (8-8) was shaky in the third and let the Rockies take a 3-0 lead.
With one out, he gave up two consecutive hits, a single by pitcher Jeff Francis and a ground-rule double by centerfielder Dexter Fowler. Both were sent home by right-fielder Seth Smith who hit a double to the right field. After striking out first baseman Carlos Gonzalez for the second out, he issued three walks; the last one to catcher Chris Iannetta produced the Rockies’ third run in a bases-loaded situation.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella saw enough in the fifth inning. He had to pull Dempster out of the game with no out after serving up two more runs that included Gonzalez’s 20th home run of the season.
The Rockies hitting fiesta was in the eighth. A total of 18 Rockies came to bat and a cycle was hit. Each player scored at least one run and had one hit off the Cubs relievers. They combined five singles, five doubles, one triple, and two home runs. The triple belonged to Iannetta and two dingers came from third baseman Ian Stewart, his 15th of the year, and centerfielder Dexter Fowler, his 3rd.
The Rockies’ 11 consecutive hits in an inning become a new major league record. They also set the franchise record by generating 13 hits in one inning.
Dexter Fowler continued his hot bat tonight. Following a two run, two RBI, 3-for-5 night on Thursday, he went 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, batting clean-up, also enjoyed a 4-for-6, 3-run evening.
The southpaw Jeff Francis (4-3) had an easy night on the mound facing the Cubs by allowing two runs in six innings of work. He only scattered four hits and one walk.
Note : Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who was placed on the restricted list after the verbal altercation with teammate Derrek Lee, was reinserted to the team roster today. To make room for Zambrano on roster, the Cubs released the right-handed reliever Bob Howry. Howry had a stint of 0-0, 5.66 ERA with the team.
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