DENVER -- For much of the season, Austin Gomber has been the most consistent and reliable starter in the Rockies¡¯ injury-riddled rotation, so they were optimistic about getting some length from the lefty in Monday¡¯s series opener against the Braves.
¡°On the days he pitches, we feel like we're gonna win because of the way he's throwing,¡± manager Bud Black said after the game.
Things didn¡¯t go to plan, however, as Gomber left the game with two outs in the third inning due to back tightness. He gave up two runs in the inning on three hits and a walk and left trailing 2-1 after giving up a two-out triple to Matt Olson. The bullpen allowed 12 runs after he left as the Rockies fell, 14-4.
¡°I¡¯ve been having some back tightness, a little bit of pain that I've been dealing with for a couple of weeks, I guess probably closer to a month now,¡± Gomber said. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to kind of get through it. Tonight was just a little bit different. I didn't specifically feel more pain or more tightness or anything. I just felt like I wasn't able to really get going. Obviously, my velocity was kind of down on everything.¡±
Gomber¡¯s velocity on all four of his pitches was down at least 2.6 mph from his season average, including a 3.8 mph decrease on the velocity of his curveball.
Manager Bud Black noted that when Gomber had pitched through the issue in the past, his velocity had been normal.
¡°I noticed it from pitch one,¡± Black said. ¡°At times, as the game goes on, as a pitcher, you talk to your pitching coach and the manager and say, ¡®Hey, it's starting to loosen up. I'm starting to feel better. I'm good.¡¯ Today, that didn't happen.¡±
Gomber last went on the IL in 2021, when he was diagnosed with a pars defect -- a stress reaction in the lower back.
After a 1-2-3 first frame, Gomber gave up a leadoff walk and a one-out double in the second but stranded the runners and escaped without damage.
¡°I wouldn't say I'm worried,¡± Gomber said. ¡°I don't feel specifically worse than I felt the past couple of weeks. It's just, functionally, I wasn't able to produce the same stuff tonight. I'm hopeful I can take the ball again in five days.¡±
Gomber has a 9-9 record and a 5.50 ERA in 139 innings over 27 starts. Though he¡¯s struggled at times, he entered Monday with a 3.49 ERA and eight quality starts in 10 appearances since June 30. Gomber is the only member of the current starting rotation to not spend time on the IL or in the Minors this season. Only Gomber and Kyle Freeland remain from the Rockies¡¯ Opening Day starting five.
¡°He's been a guy that's been durable, and, especially the last couple of months, performing,¡± Black said. ¡°You can arguably say that he's been one of our best starting pitchers, probably has been, performance-wise.¡±
For much of this season, the Rockies¡¯ bullpen has been a team strength. But as the dog days of August have worn on, those relief arms are showing the strain. Between Aug. 20 and Saturday, the Rockies lost six straight games in which they¡¯d led, including five games in which they led or were tied in the eighth. They needed a deep start Monday, but the injury left them shy.
Called on for extra duty Monday, the Rockies¡¯ relievers couldn¡¯t deliver. Karl Kauffmann, Evan Justice, Tommy Doyle, and Daniel Bard combined to allow 12 runs (11 earned) in 6 1/3 innings.
Offensively, the Rockies mustered four runs, paced by multi-hit games from Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon and rookie Hunter Goodman, who was playing in his second career game and his first at Coors Field.
McMahon launched his team-leading 22nd home run 473 feet to right-center field. He¡¯s hit safely in 11 of his past 12 games at Coors Field, slashing .378/.434/.778 with five homers, three doubles, 13 runs and 16 RBIs during the stretch.
Goodman was 2-for-4 with a wind-aided bloop double and an RBI. He¡¯s the third Rockie in franchise history to get at least two hits and an RBI in each of his first two MLB games, joining Todd Helton (August 2-3, 1997) and Jeff Salazar (September 7-8, 2006).
¡°They have a really good lineup, and they took advantage of their chances,¡± McMahon said of the Braves. ¡°We had our chances. Unfortunately, they took advantage of theirs a little bit more than we did.¡±