How Colorado Rockies Lost Momentum in Latest Game

Rockies Report, Game 71:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: A 5-4 lead midway through the sixth inning slipped away for the Rockies as they dropped their third-straight game and seventh in the last nine by a 7-5 count to the A’s at Las Vegas Ballpark on Saturday night.

Colorado surged in front thanks to a three-run fifth inning that saw a leadoff triple from Kyle Karros and doubles from Sterlin Thompson and TJ Rumfield, with Rumfield’s double scoring Edouard Julien. But Willi Castro — who’d reached first base on a walk — was gunned down at home plate as A’s catcher Shea Langeliers twisted and made a perfect tag after Alika Williams’ relay throw.

That proved costly when the A’s responded one inning later. A pair of singles off Kyle Freeland ended up coming home when Jaden Hill hung a sinker on his third pitch in relief, putting the Rockies behind. An intentional walk to Nick Kurtz and a five-pitch free pass to Langeliers loaded the bases, after which Hill plunked Carlos Cortes with a 1-2 slider, expanding the A’s lead.

Colorado mustered two more baserunners, but couldn’t move them over.

homered Thursday’s loss to the Cubs

The Rox fell to 26-45.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

When Jacob Wilson knifed a ground ball through the left side of the infield for a 2-out, 2-RBI single that put the A’s in front 2-0, it set the tone for an evening that would fail to curb the frustrations for the veteran. He had a pair of clean innings — the third and the fifth — and didn’t allow a walk, but spent most of the evening trying to work out of trouble.

He ended up taking the loss after Hill couldn’t get him out of the two-on, two-out jam he left in the sixth inning when Warren Schaeffer relieved him after 95 pitches. Freeland fell to 1-7 after an evening that saw him surrender 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings.