Ouch! Rockies blow it
Closer Holland continues to struggle, giving up two-out, walk-off homer in ninth
KANSAS CITY, MO.» This punch to the gut could hurt the Rockies for a long time.
Eric Hosmer launched a walk-off, three run-homer off closer and former teammate Greg Holland to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 victory Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. It was the first walk-off homer of Hosmer’s career.
The crushing loss was the Rockies 23rd in their last 29 road games.
Holland, a two-time all-star with the Royals, walked Alex Gordon to open the ninth inning, then took a deep breath when Whit Merrifield hit a sharp liner to left fielder Raimel Tapia. Holland got Lorenzo Cain to fly out to right before giving up an opposite-field single to left by Melky Cabrera. Up stepped Hosmer, who ripped Holland’s 85 mph slider down the right-field line.
“It was up in the zone. It was pretty much a hanger,” Holland said of his misplaced pitch, something that has haunted him over the last two weeks. “There were not a whole lot of positives today. They don’t pay me to get close, they pay me to get the job gone.”
He suffered his third blown save and his fourth loss in his last six appearances, posting a 21.60 ERA during that stretch. That, after starting 2-1 with 34 saves in 35 opportunities through his first 42 appearances, including a 1.56 ERA. He is 0-4 with a one save in four opportunities in those six games, allowing three homers.
It was Holland’s first appearance at Kauffman Stadium since Sept. 9, 2015, with Kansas City, the year he saved 32 games for the Royals, who went on to win the World Series.
Asked if it was possibly time to give Holland a break from his closer’s role, manager
Bud Black said probably not.
“We will talk about it, but my initial instinct is to keep Greg where he is,” Black said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without him. He’s going through a little bit of a tough stretch as far as making pitches.
“His arm feels good. He still has confidence. We have to help him get to the point where he’s locating his fastball and locating his slider and getting that last out, or making that last pitch, to make the save. He just hasn’t executed that pitch.”
Colorado’s two MVP candidates did their stuff early on, but it was all wasted. Nolan Arenado slugged a two-out solo shot in the first inning, his 29th homer of the season.
Charlie Blackmon (3-for-5) led off the third with another solo homer, this one just clearing the right-field fence to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead. It was Blackmon’s career-high 30th homer, surpassing the 29 he hit last season. More impressive, he became the first National League leadoff hitter to reach 30 home runs since the Florida Marlins’ Hanley Ramirez did it in 2008. The Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout was the last AL leadoff hitter to do it, mashing 30 in 2012.
The Rockies’ sixth inning produced the kind of frame they’ve been searching for in recent weeks. Trevor Story worked a walk, and then Blackmon fought through a 10-pitch at-bat against left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter to deliver a bloop single to left. Story, running with the pitch, landed on third and scored on DJ LeMahieu’s single up the middle. Those three solid atbats extended Colorado’s lead to 4-2. It could have been a bigger inning, but Blackmon was picked off second base.
K.C. cut the lead to 4-3 in the on Merrifield’s fourth hit of the night, followed by a stolen base. He scored on Hosmer’s loopy single to right off reliever Jake McGee.
Rookie Antonio Senzatela put the Rockies in a position to win. Making his first start since Aug. 9 at Cleveland, he pitched five innings, holding the Royals to two runs. True, K.C. banged out nine hits off him, but Senzatela made good pitches when he had to.
The Rockies have scored more than four runs in just two of their past 16 games.