Even higher-scoring reality at Coors takes some adjusting

Coors Canaveral is back. After San Francisco’s offensive explosion in the Giants’ 19-2 win over Colorado on Monday afternoon in the first game of a split doubleheader, the Rockies’ stadium is averaging 14.1 runs per game this season. That’s a new post-humidor extreme in LoDo, where scoring averaged 13.4 runs per game in the last pre-humidor year, in 2001.

“It’s been a little wacky the last month, as it’s started heating up,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “But this is what’s happening in 2019, so we really have to cinch our belt a little tighter as pitchers and work our way through this. We have to get the ball down more consistently now than ever before.”

In a trend linked to a historic rise in homers throughout the game, a ball that even commissioner Rob Manfred admits is more aerodynamic this year and — let’s not forget — an underwhelming collective performance by Colorado pitchers this season, Coors Field has once again become a pinball machine.

Here’s a look inside some more numbers reflecting Coors Field’s craziness in 2019:

• Colorado has allowed 148 runs over its last 15 home games since June 12, an average of 9.9 runs per game, while the Rockies have scored 114 runs over that span (7.6 runs/game).

• Per ESPN’s single-season park factor — which is a measure of how much offense a park allows, relative to other parks — Coors Field has the highest park factor since 2001. Its park factor is 1.663 on a scale where a rating higher than 1.000 favors the hitter and a rating below 1.000 favors the pitcher. The next-highest park factor this season is the Pirates’ PNC Park at 1.169.

• Colorado pitchers have a 6.57 ERA at home with a .300 opponent batting average, both marks that are the worst in all of baseball. But on the road, the Rockies’ arms are faring much better, posting a 3.96 ERA that’s the fifth-best in the majors with a .243 average against.

The Rockies’ frustration with high-scoring games could certainly be felt inside the clubhouse Monday afternoon, but catcher Tony Wolters insists the team’s staff is going to rise up to the challenge of pitching in LoDo, not slink away.

“Of course we’re getting tired (of huge scores), but we’re trying to not let it get to us,” Wolters said. “Because of how big the outfield is and how the ball’s been flying, we have to be more perfect here. We have to really bear down. … You let one pitch go, and it causes a whole riot of hits. We can’t take for granted any one pitch.”

Rockies first baseman Daniel Murphy was named National League player of the week Monday for batting .667 (8-for-12) with five runs, three doubles, two homers, five RBIs and a 1.417 slugging percentage over three games.

He tied a career high with four hits Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds with a double and a homer. Murphy is the fourth Rockies player to earn the honor this year, joining Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon. Tinoco demoted. Colorado recalled right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez from Triple-A Albuquerque to start the second game of Monday’s doubleheader and, in a corresponding move, sent reliever Jesus Tinoco back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

The 24-year-old Tinoco had a 5.54 ERA in seven games (13 innings) for Colorado since making his MLB debut May 31.