Game Ninety-Nine – Cubs 2, Rockies 7
WP – Yohan Flande (1-1) LP – Dallas Beeler (0-1) Save – None
The Rockies scored four runs in the first inning off Dallas Beeler and put the game away with two more runs off Rafael Soriano in the eighth as the Cubs lost another game to a last place team on Tuesday night.
The Rockies jumped on Dallas Beeler and before he could record an out three runs had already scored. Joe Maddon went to Travis Wood in the second inning after Beeler allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. Beeler faced only 11 batters and made 37 pitches, 18 for strikes, in 1 1/3 innings.
Travis Wood did an excellent job out of the bullpen. Wood kept the Cubs in the game but the offense could not string together any hits against Yohan Flande. Wood gave up one run on one hit with a walk and six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Justin Grimm and James Russell put zeros on the board in the sixth and seventh innings.
Rafael Soriano was hit extremely hard Tuesday night. The Rockies scored two runs on three hits off Soriano in the eighth inning. Soriano’s velocity and location are rather concerning as he threw in the low-90s again.
Jason Motte gave up a hit in the ninth.
The Cubs managed two runs Tuesday night on seven hits and four walks.
Jorge Soler (2-for-4 with a double and a RBI) delivered a two-out RBI single in the first inning and Chris Coghlan (1-for-2 with a home run) delivered a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning that accounted for the Cubs only runs.
Dexter Fowler (3-for-4 with a double) and Addison Russell (1-for-4) had the other hits. Kyle Schwarber (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) walked in the first inning and scored on Soler’s single.
With Tuesday’s loss, the Cubs slipped to 52-47 on the season.
The Rockies came out swinging against Dallas Beeler, sent nine to the plate and scored four runs in the first inning. Charlie Blackmon doubled (2-2 pitch) to left center. D.J. LeMahieu doubled to right. Blackmon scored, 1-0 Rockies. Beeler walked Carlos Gonzalez. Nolan Arenado doubled into the left field corner. LeMahieu and Gonzalez scored, 3-0 Rockies. Corey Dickerson singled to left and put runners on the corners with no outs. Ben Paulsen grounded out to first base. Rizzo fielded the ball, stepped on the bag and threw to second late. With runners on second and third, Nick Hundley rolled a 1-1 pitch toward third. Bryant fielded the ball, looked at Arenado as he ran toward the plate. Bryant threw to first, Arenado scored, 4-0 Rockies. Beeler intentionally walked Daniel Descalso.
Dallas Beeler struck out Yohan Flande swinging on his 29th pitch (15 for strikes) to end the inning.
Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant walked with one out in the home half. Anthony Rizzo was caught looking at a 1-2 pitch. Jorge Soler singled to right center (0-2 pitch), Schwarber scored … 4-1 Rockies. With runners on the corners and two down, Chris Denorfia grounded out to short to end the inning.
After one complete, the Cubs trailed 4-1.
Travis Wood replaced Beeler with one out in the second after he walked D.J. LeMahieu. Wood restored order and kept the Rockies from adding to their lead. The game went to the fifth with the Cubs down by three runs, 4-1.
D.J. LeMahieu led off the fifth with a triple to right center on a 1-0 pitch. Wood struck out Gonzalez swinging. Maddon had Wood intentionally walk Arenado. With runners on first and third with one out, Corey Dickerson dribbled a 1-1 pitch toward first. Rizzo fielded the ball off to his side and got the sure out at first base. LeMahieu scored, 5-1 Rockies. With Arenado at second base, Wood struck out Paulsen swinging to end the inning.
Dexter Fowler doubled to left center with one out in the fifth. Schwarber broke his bat on a blooper to first base for the second out. And Bryant rolled out to LeMahieu to end the inning.
At the end of five innings, the Rockies led 5-1.
With the Rockies still leading 5-1, former Cubs’ reliever Gonzalez Germen started the seventh. Starlin Castro tapped back to the mound for the first out. Maddon went to his bench and sent up Coghlan to hit for James Russell.
Chris Coghlan ripped a 3-1 pitch out to right center. The ball ended up in the bleachers and Coghlan made it a 5-2 game. Addison Russell followed with a single to right and Dexter Fowler singled to right center. With runners on first and second with one down, Walt Weiss replaced Germen with Boone Logan.
Kyle Schwarber grounded to third on a 1-2 pitch. Arenado fielded the ball and tagged out Russell. Daniel Descalso made a leaping catch on a ball ticketed for left center and took away a hit from Kris Bryant and at least a run from the Cubs to end the inning.
The Cubs were down 5-2 after seven innings.
Rafael Soriano pitched the eighth and the game got out of hand.
Corey Dickerson doubled into the right field corner. Ben Paulsen singled to right center. Dickerson jogged home, 6-2 Rockies. After Nick Hundley flied out to left, Daniel Descalso blooped a double down the left field line. Paulsen scored from first base, 7-2 Rockies. Descalso went to third on the throw to the plate. Brandon Barnes popped out to Bryant and Blackmon hit a soft liner to Bryant to end the inning.
The Cubs did nothing against Justin Miller in the eighth inning. The game went to the ninth with the Cubs down 7-2.
And that was the final score as the Cubs went down in order in the ninth inning.
Jon Lester takes on Eddie Butler in the season series finale with the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon (1:20pm CDT).