Head for the mountains: Back at home, Rockies hope to rally

MILWAUKEE — The thin mountain air in Denver might do wonders for the slumping Colorado Rockies.

They’re home again, though down 2-0 in their National League Division Series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Game 3 in the best-of-five series is today at Coors Field.

“I don’t have a doubt that we’re going to get things going,” veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said.

If not, Gonzalez could be gone.

The one-year, $5 million deal he signed last offseason to return to Colorado expires at the end of the year. After 11 seasons playing on Blake Street, the three-time Gold Glove winner and 2010 NL batting champion is about as synonymous with Colorado as dry air and beer.

He’s a lifetime .323 hitter at Coors Field, 72 points higher than his career road average. He knows how much of a difference playing at home can make for Rockies hitters.

Playing in front of a friendly crowd might help the team relax after a frustrating Friday night of breaking bats and slamming batting gloves into helmets.

The Rockies finished among the MLB leaders in several offensive categories this year, but they’ve scored just six runs in four games since slugging five home runs in a 12-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

“When you’re down and you have some opportunities in front of you and you don’t get it done, you’re going to have some emotions you don’t see in the regular season. The season is on the line,” Gonzalez said.

The Rockies will send righthander German Marquez (14-11, 3.77 ERA) to the mound in Game 3 against Milwaukee’s Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57).

“I think playing at home can get us going,” manager Bud Black said.

Colorado’s three 2018 AllStars — third baseman Nolan Arenado, center fielder Charlie Blackmon and shortstop Trevor Story — are a combined 3-for-23 in this series with two RBIs, both in the ninth inning of Game 1, which the Rockies lost 3-2 in 10 innings.

Gonzalez’s problems at the plate extend into the last month of the regular season. He hit .200 in 20 games in September and October with one homer and eight RBIs.

Still, he was back in the cleanup position in Game 2, two spots up from the opener. He tripled in the first game but ended up getting stranded.

“When things are bad, even when you put a good swing to the ball … and some other guys hit the ball hard and they don’t find holes, it’s a little frustrating,” Gonzalez said. “You’ve just got to continue to work.”