Rockies’ starters pitching much better at Coors Field than on the road

One of the astir funny things astir the Rockies’ funny play is this: At hitter-friendly Coors Field, their starters ain a combined 3.57 ERA. On the road, starters person posted a 5.14 ERA.

German Marquez, for example, got bushed up by the Giants successful San Francisco connected Thursday night, giving up 7 runs successful conscionable 4 innings. The right-hander is Colorado’s champion pitcher, but connected the road, he’s 3-7 with a 4.81 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a .255 batting mean against. At home, Marquez has been mighty: 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and .199 mean against.

Right-hander Jon Gray struggles connected the road, too. The Giants tagged him for 3 runs successful 4 1/3 innings Sunday astatine Oracle Park successful a crippled the Giants yet won, 5-2. On the road, Gray is 2-6 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP, with opponents hitting .288 against him. At Coors, he’s 5-3 with a 1.09 WHIP and .186 mean against.

Local knowledge. The Giants, who ain the champion grounds successful the majors (76-42), person won 8 of 10 games against the Rockies astatine Oracle Park this season.

San Francisco, obviously, is simply a overmuch amended squad than Colorado (51-64). They besides person the payment of knowing the quirks of their location ballpark, wherever winds crook popups and flyballs into adventures.

The Rockies are learning astir those quirks the hard way. Saturday night, archetypal baseman C.J. Cron and 2nd baseman Brendan Rodgers watched arsenic a pop-up started successful foul crushed lone to drift backmost into just territory and plop down them for a single.

Sunday, successful the Giants’ seventh inning, Kris Bryant led disconnected and deed what looked similar a harmless flyball to left-center. But near fielder Connor Joe didn’t perceive oregon spot halfway fielder Garrett Hampson calling for the ball. The 2 collided, Joe dropped the shot for an mistake and the doorway opened for the Giants’ decisive two-run inning.

Manager Bud Black explained that Joe, reasoning astir the upwind astatine Oracle Park, didn’t privation to instrumentality his oculus disconnected the ball. Hampson, Black said, indispensable outcry louder.

“Connor astir apt didn’t recognize — possibly it’s a deficiency of acquisition present astatine Oracle — that the shot seems to drift backmost toward the gap,” Black said. “It’s astir apt a learning acquisition for Connor. You’ve got to peek to spot wherever the halfway fielder is.

“’Hampy,’ successful his spot arsenic a halfway fielder — with this assemblage — he’s got to yell, ‘I’ve got it.’ He mightiness not person been arsenic vocal arsenic helium needed. That’s thing we’ll speech to Hampy about, particularly successful ballparks that person assemblage involvement.”

On Deck

Michael Wyke, The Associated Press

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela throws against the Houston Astros during the archetypal inning of a shot crippled Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, successful Houston.

Padres LHP Ryan Weathers (4-5, 4.72 ERA) astatine Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-9, 4.71)
6:40 p.m. Monday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Senzatela has been up and down each season. He suffered his ninth nonaccomplishment Wednesday astatine Houston, giving up 3 runs connected 9 hits implicit six innings. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 4.04 ERA successful 11 starts astatine Coors Field this season. The Padres bushed him connected May 11 astatine Coors, scoring 4 runs successful 5 innings successful an 8-1 victory. Senzatela is 6-3 with a 3.13 ERA successful 10 vocation starts vs. the Padres, including a 4-1 grounds with a 3.19 ERA successful six starts astatine home. The Padres’ hopes of winning the National League West are fading, successful ample portion due to the fact that their starting rotation has faltered. Weathers, a 21-year-old rookie, illustrates their struggles. In 12 starts anterior to the July 30 commercialized deadline, helium ne'er allowed 5 runs successful a game. Since the deadline, however, he’s allowed astatine slightest six runs successful 3 consecutive starts. He was clobbered by Miami successful his past commencement astatine Petco Park, giving up 3 location runs, and six runs wide successful 4 2/3 innings. In 3 games (two starts) against Colorado, Weathers is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA.

Trending: Brendan Rodgers went 0-for-4 Sunday against the Giants, ending his career-best 16-game hitting streak.

At issue: With Sunday’s loss, the Rockies fell to 14-45 (.237) connected the road. The 2014 squad went 21-60 (.259) for the worst roadworthy grounds successful franchise history.

Pitching probables

• Tuesday: Padres TBD astatine Rockies RHP German Marquez (10-9, 3.77), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
• Wednesday: Padres LHP Blake Snell (6-4, 4.80) astatine Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (9-7, 4.09), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
• Thursday: Off