Toss out Wednesday night\u2019s results. Michael Lorenzen believes he can pitch at Coors Field. His manager thinks so too.<\/p>\n
The box score said otherwise: Over five innings, the Mets had 11 hits off the Rockies\u2019 right-hander, leading to seven runs as the Mets cruised to a 10-5 win.<\/p>\n
The announced crowd at Coors was 11,155 on a night when the temperature at first pitch was 41 degrees. That is the lowest home crowd in Rockies history. However, the Rockies said that many fans exchanged their tickets for another game after this week\u2019s snow, postponed games, and the fact that Wednesday\u2019s game was pushed back from a 6:40 p.m. start to a 7:20 p.m. start.<\/p>\n
The fans who stayed away were probably glad they did, because the Rockies suffered their sixth consecutive loss, and their sweep of the Mets at Citi Field on April 24-26 seems long ago and far away.<\/p>\n
Manager Warren Schaeffer saw a mixed bag from Lorenzen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of hits, 11, and he had three walks in there that hurt,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cGood pitch mix, but they were on him. When he threw it over the plate, they put the ball in play \u2014 whether hard sometimes or not. They made it work, so hats off to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorenzen\u2019s night began ominously when Juan Soto hit Lorenzen\u2019s third pitch of the game 435 feet and into the left-centerfield seats. It was the first leadoff home run of Soto\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
Lorenzen said he \u201cwasn\u2019t making excuses,\u201d but said he did feel like he threw decent pitches, save for a leadoff homer by Soto and a triple by MJ Melendez two batters later.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say they were on me, there was a lot of, like, 77 mph hits,\u201d said Lorenzen, who is 2-4 with a 6.92 ERA after eight starts (nine appearances). \u201cThere was one Coors-style double in there. There were a lot of bloops that were hit over second base on changeups and sinkers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The right-hander, whom the Rockies signed to a one-year, $8 million contract, with a team option worth $9 million next season, owns a 9.64 ERA after four starts at Coors this season.<\/p>\n
But Schaeffer put his full faith and trust in Lorenzen, Coors or no Coors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see too small of a sample size to make a thing (out of) that one,\u201d Schaeffer said. \u201cThe first game that he pitched against Philadelphia (nine runs on 12 hits over three innings) was a throw-away game. Michael will be fine. He wanted to come here, to pitch here specifically. He\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lorenzen said it\u2019s \u201cjust been kind of frustrating\u201d for him this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve thrown the ball pretty well, and today, I thought I threw it great,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just that balls aren\u2019t hit where you hope they would be hit. Weak contact isn\u2019t hit where you would hope it would be hit. I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s a Coors Field thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rockies\u2019 four-run sixth inning cut New York\u2019s lead to 8-4. The inning featured a leadoff home run by rookie TJ Rumfield, his sixth, and a two-run homer by Jake McCarthy, his first of the season.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Rockies barely laid a glove on New York starter Freddy Peralta, who continued his dominance at Coors Field. The right-hander blanked the Rockies for five innings, allowing four harmless singles over. He walked two and struck out one.<\/p>\n
Peralta made his major league debut at Coors on May 13, 2018, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning and striking out 13 over 5 2\/3 innings. On May 2, 2023, he struck out 10 innings, allowing two runs.<\/p>\n
Pitching probables<\/p>\n
Thursday: Mets RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 4.26 ERA) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 4.07), 1:10 p.m.
Friday: Rockies TBD at Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (3-3, 5.09), 4:40 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-3, 5.04) at Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.06), 4:05 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM\/94.01 FM<\/p>\n