What Always Seems to Go Wrong for the Rockies in Close Games

The Colorado Rockies had their difficult moments in the season in close game situations.

The team with a 50-74 record in the NL West could have had more wins if the bullpen and other circumstances had held up their end.

Bullpen Issues In Late Innings

Colorado Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes — Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Gabriel Hughes Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it's a one-run or two-run game, many things can happen on the field. For the Rockies, their bullpen has been mostly inconsistent. There were some games that could have gone their way, but giving up hits, doubles, and even home runs changed the momentum of the game.

On July 8, Colorado was on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rockies offense showed some fight after quickly trailing 3-0 in the first inning, thanks to home runs by Kyle Karros and Mickey Moniak. The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth. At the time, Antonio Senzatela was their best reliever with an 8-0 record.

Unfortunately, Senzatela suffered his first loss of the season. He gave up hits to Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. Betts delivered the game-winning RBI that brought Tommy Edman home. The Rockies lost 4-3.

On April 10, the Rockies wish they could erase this four-game weekend series against the San Diego Padres from their memory. The bleeding of the team's season truly began in this series. The streak of losses began when they got swept by the Padres. In this particular game, both teams were tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning.

With reliever Juan Mejia on the mound, he gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Gavin Sheets. The Rockies lost 5-2. Their offense had eight hits that night but left five men on base. After the sweep, they lost the next two games against the Houston Astros, expanding their losing streak to six games before winning the last game of the series, with the final score 3-2.

The Rockies have lost 31 games decided by two runs or less. Can we imagine how many they could have won if the results had been reversed? When you look at the Rockies' lineup, there's so much talent and potential there. If the team had strong pitching, then things could have been different.

Thirty-one games where the Rockies lost by a run or two are a lot to process. Therefore, in order for this team to get back into postseason mode or try to chase a championship, pitching must be a top priority from starters to relievers.

We have seen this example numerous times: pitching wins titles. The front office still has a long way to go to fix this problem.

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