Colorado scored six runs in the first inning against Reds’ starter Reiver Sanmartin and reliever Buck Farmer.
And it was a bona fide mess …. four singles, a double, a home run, two walks, a balk and a wild pitch.
The grim and gruesome numbers for the Reds are piling up — 17 losses in 18 games, six straight losses and a 3-19 record, the worst start to a season in franchise history.
Sanmartin, 0-4 with a 13.78 earned run average, resembled a man stranded on an uncharted island as the stood on the mound.
And the first inning unfolded like this:
First baseman Joey Votto was used as a designated hitter, so Mike Moustakas played first base. The first batter, Connor Joe, hit a weak grounder to second base. Moustakas tried to field it and left first base uncovered, and Joe was safe with an infield hit.
Jose Iglesias walked. Sanmartin balked the runners to third and second. Randal Grichuck singled for two runs, 2-0.
C.J. Cron then expanded his National League home run lead to eight by clearing the left field fence, 4-0.
With two outs, Brendan Rodgers, hitting .075 and 0 for 17, punched a run-scoring single to right, 5-0.
Rookie Elehuris Montero, taking his first major league at bat, singled to center. Joe walked on a full count to fill the bases.
Farmer replaced Sanmartin and hit Iglesias with a pitch to force in a run, 6-0.
Sanmartin’s line: 2/3 of a inning, six runs, six hits, one walk, no strikeouts, a balk and a wild pitch … 43 pitches to get two outs.
Then came the second inning and for good measure the Rockies added three unneeded runs. It began with one out and Diaz popped up. Pitcher Farmer let it drop for an error and then walked Ryan McMahon. Yonathan Daza singled to fill the bases and Rodgers, no longer slump-ridden, drove his second hit in two innings, a loud three-run double to make it 9-0.
By then, the Reds were waving the white surrender towel on their way to a three-game sweep by the Rockies.
With nine early runs, Colorado starter Kyle Freeland was given a free hand to slice his way through Cincinnati’s moribund offense.
Freeland entered the game 0-3 with a 6.61 earned run average and opponents were hitting .313 against him.
But he held the Reds to four hits, two by Brandon Drury, including a fifth-inning leadoff home run for the Reds only run.
The Reds hit into two more double plays and hit into seven during the three defeats.
The Rockies collected 12 hits, including home runs by Cron and one by Grichuck in the eighth that made it 10-1. For the second straight game, Joey Votto made the game’s final out and went hitless. He is 1 for his last 26 and his average is .122.
Coors Field has been a stop on the tour the Reds would rather skip. They are 22-43 on their visits to the Blake Street baseball emporium.
Adding to the Reds problems, second baseman and rookie of the year Jonathan went back on the 10-day injury list with pain in his right hamstring.
About the Author