Despite a hot start to July, the Colorado Rockies dropped under .500 on the month with a loss to the Cincinnati Reds last night. In the first game back after the All-Star festivities, the bats were cold and the Rockies started the back half of the season off on the wrong foot. The Rox managed just two runs on six hits alongside eight strikeouts, surrendering a taco special worth of runs in a 7-2 loss.
Gabriel Hughes looked solid and kept the Rockies in contention for most of the game, but Colorado’s offense couldn’t get things finished, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Hunter Goodman had a bit of an All-Star hangover, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The bullpen let things get further out of reach with Jimmy Herget giving up two runs, Victor Vodnik another, and Jeff Criswell capping the night off allowing two more.
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Looking to right the course, Colorado hopes the return of a key piece of the starting rotation could get them back in the win column. After a stint on the injured list, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) is set to start for the Rockies. He brings an 8-4 record across 16 starts into the weekend matchup, tossing 48 strikeouts across 84.1 innings with a 4.80 ERA. Before his injury, Sugano had one of his roughest outings of the year in a 9-8 loss to the Minnesota Twins, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits with two home runs and just two strikeouts.
For the Reds, Rhett Lowder is projected to take the mound. Lowder is also rejoining Cincinnati’s starting rotation. He shifted to the bullpen following Hunter Greene’s return from the IL, but a recent injury to Nick Lodolo warrants Lowder’s return. He carries a 3-6 record and a 4.91 ERA across 13 starts and 16 games played. In his last appearance, Lowder posted a clean two innings in relief, notching one strikeout and two walks with no hits at the end of an 8-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The Saturday matinee presents two teams at the bottom of their respective divisions shuffling their rotations and battling it out in the hopes of stringing together some wins during the dog days of summer.
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT
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TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Reds SB Nation Site: Red Reporter
Lineups:
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