Rockies Offense Goes Quite as Reds Use Power to Take Over Coors Field

Colorado got another encouraging night from Gabriel Hughes, but Cincinnati’s power and Brady Singer’s command led to a 7-2 loss at Coors Field.

Gabriel Hughes pitches in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Rockies opened their series against the Cincinnati Reds with a few individual positives, but not enough offense to turn those moments into a real threat. Cincinnati beat Colorado 7-2 at Coors Field, using four home runs, a strong start from Brady Singer and a late offensive surge to pull away from the Rockies.

For Colorado, the best sign came from Gabriel Hughes. The right-hander gave the Rockies 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out six. It continued an encouraging start to his Major League career. Hughes entered the night with a 3.00 ERA, eight strikeouts and three walks over his first nine innings, then followed it with another competitive outing against Cincinnati. Through three MLB appearances, he now sits at a 3.14 ERA with 14 strikeouts and five walks over 14 1/3 innings.

The problem was that Cincinnati found their stride after Hughes hit the showers.

Spencer Steer hits a single in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Reds grabbed momentum in the sixth inning, when Spencer Steer and Eugenio Suarez hit back-to-back home runs off Jimmy Herget. Suarez’s blast continued a strong individual stretch, giving him a home run in three straight games, while Steer turned in the best offensive performance of the night. He homered twice, including an inside-the-park shot later in the game, and gave Cincinnati a huge offensive boost.

Elly De La Cruz also gave the Reds a reminder of how dynamic he can be. He went 4-for-5 with a solo home run. Sal Stewart added two RBI, helping Cincinnati score in each of the final four innings.

Singer made sure that offense held up. The Reds right-hander allowed two runs over seven innings, struck out six and did not walk a batter. Colorado finished with only six hits and no walks, leaving the lineup without enough baserunners to create consistent offense.

Willi Castro was the Rockies’ clear offensive bright spot. He went 2-for-4 with a home run, giving Colorado one of its few answers against Singer. But the rest of the lineup struggled to follow, and the Rockies went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Hughes gave the Rockies a chance to win early on, and Castro provided a needed spark, but the game slowly tilted toward the team with more complete execution. Cincinnati hit for power, got a good night out of their starter, and piled on runs late. Colorado had flashes, but not enough consistency for the flashes to mean anything substantial.