Rockies shut out by Cardinals on Mother’s Day, get swept in series - The Denver Post

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The Rockies would be just fine if they never play in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. Ever again.

And they probably wouldn’t mind if they never have to face St. Louis Cardinals veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright. Ever again.

The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Rockies on Sunday, winning 2-0, as Wainwright came two outs away from pitching the 11th shutout of his career.

Then again, considering how the Rockies are playing on the road, and given their lackluster offense, the 2021 Rockies might have trouble with the ’62 New York Mets.

An exaggeration? Perhaps.

The Rockies (12-22) were shut out for the fifth time this season in just their first 34 games. Last year, they were blanked four times in 60 games. Colorado fell to 2-14 away from Coors Field and have now lost 13 games by two runs or fewer.

Tossing salt on the wound was the performance of former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. Sunday, Arenado provided all of the offense the Cardinals needed.

He hit a solo home run to left off of right-hander German Marquez to lead off the second inning, his sixth homer of the season. Arenado also scored the Cardinals’ second run, reaching on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Fuentes — Arenado’s cousin — and scoring on a double by catcher Yadier Molina to make it 2-0 in the fourth.

Rockies manager Bud Black, while once again lamenting his team’s inability to come up with the key hit at the key moment — the Rockies were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position — couldn’t help but admire Wainwright’s performance. Black called it a pitching clinic.

“That was the art of changing speeds,” Black said. “We saw the curveball as slow as 68 mph and the fastball as high as 89. So you’re talking about a (21 mph) difference from one pitch to the next.

“He had tremendous use of that little cutter he uses on the outside corner to right-handed hitters. He jammed some of our lefties as well. But it was more about disrupting the timing of the hitters. We were out front of the curveball and behind on the fastball.”

Wainwright, 39, limited the Rockies to three hits — a double by Charlie Blackmon in the second, a single by Raimel Tapia in the sixth and a one-out single by Ryan McMahon in the ninth.

After McMahon’s single, Blackmon walked on five pitches, forcing Cardinals manager Mike Shildt to bring in right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley. After a walk to Connor Joe loaded the bases Helsley got Fuentes to ground into a game-ending double play.

Sunday marked the Cardinals’ ninth consecutive win over Colorado at the current Busch Stadium, and the Cardinals’ 15th win in their last 16 games there against Colorado. St. Louis’ .759 home winning percentage (41-13) vs. the Rockies is its best against any opponent since Busch III opened in 2006.

Wainwright, who struck out five and walked three, owns the Rockies. He has the lowest ERA (1.41) and highest winning percentage (.917, 11-1) of any pitcher against the Rockies with at least 75 innings pitched. He’s won nine consecutive starts vs. the Rockies, and the Cardinals are 14-2 in all the games in which Wainwright has pitched against them.

“Sometimes in baseball, there are those teams where you’ve kind of had their number and there’s no rhyme or reason to it,” Wainwright said. “And sometimes teams have your number and there’s no rhyme or reason to that either.”

The one bit of bright news for Colorado was Marquez’s performance. The right-hander, who’s been struggling to find his fastball command all season, made a much-needed quality start. Marquez allowed just one earned run on six hits, struck out six and walked three.

“My fastball was good and I trusted my slider today,” said Marquez, now 1-4 with a 5.49 ERA. “I have just changed my delivery, it was nothing mental. I have been battling my delivery since spring training. I’m close to being good.”

 

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