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Colorado Rockies whiff on chance to take series with Tampa Bay Rays

Mark Reynolds and the Colorado Rockies couldn’t get the bats going Wednesday to keep up with the Tampa Bay Rays in an 11-3 loss.

DENVER – The Rockies struck out in their bid to make up ground against a last-place team.

Colorado tied a season high by fanning 15 times in an 11-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

This after striking out 12 times the night before.

Colorado has whiffed 12 times or more in consecutive home games for the first time in franchise history, according to the team.

In losing two of three to last-place Tampa Bay, the Rockies were outscored 25-11 and outhit 35-24 with 31 strikeouts.

“We understood that we were going to face a team that is having a tough time,” Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “We are in a situation where we’ve got to make things happen – and it didn’t happen.”

Archer (5-13) struck out 11 over six innings for his first win since June 6. He also took some inspiration from rookie Blake Snell, who pitched a gem the night before. Archer went out and tried to duplicate it.

Nearly did, too.

Archer allowed two runs and four hits to halt a slide in which he had lost six of seven starts.

“Archer struck us out a lot today and pitched well,” said Gonzalez, who scored a run in the eighth, his 600th as a member of the Rockies. “He mixed his pitches where he needs to and as a hitter it was frustrating not being able to score runs.”

Evan Longoria kept up his hot hitting with two doubles as the Rays captured their first road series since June 6-8 at Arizona. Longoria turned in a big series with two doubles, two triples, a homer and five RBIs.

Jorge De La Rosa (6-7) lasted only four innings and gave up nine runs, seven of them earned. He usually fares well at Coors Field – with a better home ERA (4.27) than on the road (4.38) since joining Colorado.

“Everything was bad,” De La Rosa explained. “I threw pitches where I don’t have to throw them.”

Tampa Bay trailed 2-1 before breaking open the game with three runs in third and five more in the fourth.

Former Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson had three hits, including a triple, to increase his career average in this park to .360. He was traded to the Rays last January for reliever Jake McGee.

With two doubles Wednesday, Longoria has 50 extra base hits this season. Only one other Tampa Bay player, Aubrey Huff in 2003, had that many through 94 games.

Archer allowed two runs in the second but quickly settled into a groove. He struck out the side in the fourth and the sixth – his last pitch a 96 mph fastball that Mark Reynolds couldn’t hit.

“We saw two guys the last two days that throw a lot of good breaking balls,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “Snell had a real good slider. Archer had a real good slider. That was the common denominator the last two games.”

FEELING PRESIDENTIAL

Weiss is playfully campaigning for his man: Gerardo Parra.

Weiss wore a “Parra for President” T-shirt before the game. The shirts were created as a joke before the season and Parra’s teammates constantly wear them.

More pressing than getting Parra into the White House is getting him back on the field. The outfielder is on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.

THIS & THAT

Rockies hitting coach Blake Doyle was thrown out in the second inning for something he said from the dugout to home plate umpire Paul Emmel concerning the strike zone. ... There was a review over a tag at home plate in the second inning that lasted 6 minutes, 28 seconds, and had players just standing around. Archer threw warmup pitches. ... OF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Righty Chad Bettis (7-6) will make his 20th start of the season when Colorado opens a four-game series against Atlanta.



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