PHILADELPHIA -- Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela's use-your-defense style required him to use himself in the second inning on Thursday afternoon.
The Phillies had bases loaded and one out when Senzatela rushed from the mound, barehanded Brandon Marsh’s chopper and threw to catcher Jacob Stallings for a forceout on Max Kepler. Then, a simple Kyle Schwarber grounder to short ended the inning.
Senzatela logged 5 1/3 innings, yielded 10 hits and struck out three, yet he didn’t give up an earned run. That puts him in the baseball history statistical database for the second straight start. He has yielded 19 hits, yet no earned runs, over two starts totaling 9 1/3 innings to start the season. It’s the first time such a combination of innings with so many hits and no earned runs has happened since ERA became an official stat in 1913.
“It’s not so much fun to have people on base,” Senzatela said. “But I try to keep in my mind, ‘Keep them from scoring. Throw my best pitches right here.’”
Yet, an unearned run -- the product of left fielder Mickey Moniak dropping Kyle Schwarber’s fifth-inning fly ball followed by Bryce Harper’s two-out double -- left Senzatela with the decision in the Rockies’ 3-1 loss to the Phillies in the series finale at Citizens Bank Park.
Sean Bouchard drove in Colorado’s run with a pinch-hit single off José Alvarado in the ninth, but Jacob Stallings, Tyler Freeman and Brenton Doyle all struck out -- the latter two with the bases loaded.
And it made for yet another oddball stat combination:
Rockies starters have a 1.35 ERA, having given up six runs (five earned) in 33 1/3 innings. Yet, the team will carry a 1-5 record into its home opener against the Athletics on Friday at Coors Field.
Senzatela, No. 1 starter Kyle Freeland, home-opener starter Ryan Feltner and Germán Márquez are carrying the Rockies -- or at least dragging them along until they find their offensive footing.
“Right now, everybody’s throwing the ball well,” Senzatela said. “We’ll just try to keep doing that and try to win some games.”
In Senzatela’s first start -- 4 1/3 innings, nine hits and two walks against the Rays on Saturday in the Rockies’ only win -- he could credit his defense for the bailout. This time, Senzatela used his defensive play to escape the second, forced a Max Kepler double-play grounder to end the third, and nearly washed away the Moniak error.
With one out and Schwarber at third, Senzatela had a 2-2 count and had beaten Harper away for the two strikes. But he left a four-seam fastball over the plate, and Harper pulled it on the ground for the go-ahead double. While the Phillies reached double digits in hits against Senzatela, it wasn’t the entire story. Five were infield hits.
And for all the baserunners he has faced, Senzatela didn’t walk a batter after issuing just two in his first start.
“Starting pitching has thrown a ton of strikes and made the other team put the ball in play to get their baserunners,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Senza did the same today. He made them put the ball in play. There were a couple good defensive plays again. But Senza did his part.”
Colorado’s staff is led by a triumvirate of pitchers -- Freeland, Márquez and Senzatela -- that debuted in 2017, pitched the team to the postseason in ‘17 and ‘18, signed multi-year contracts and suffered through their own injuries and slumps while the team rebuilt. Feltner is on an upswing, as well.
“They truly understand what a starting pitcher means to a team’s success, what his responsibility is because his performance more than likely dictates the outcome of the game,” Black said. “They relish that. How they go about their work is a great standard for all players -- position players or not.”
The main issue with the Rockies’ rotation has been the health of lefty Austin Gomber, who experienced left shoulder soreness in Spring Training. Gomber pulled himself from the lineup card before his second Triple-A Albuquerque rehab start on Wednesday.
Gomber reported the problem wasn’t serious, but he needed more time before his next outing and will join the team in Denver to be re-examined. The Rockies have scratched the idea of bringing him back next week.
How long can the starters keep carrying the weight for others?
“We’re going to do our job to the best of our ability to get deep in games, get outs and keep runs off the board,” Freeland said. “It’s what we’re paid to do.
“With the veteran leadership in our starting rotation core, little stuff doesn’t bug us much.”