How LoDo can Rockies go? Padres blast five homers in 21-0 win at Coors Field

Did the Rockies lose again Saturday night? Is the Pope an American Catholic?

Actually, “lose” is a misnomer. The Rockies were crushed, 21-0, by the Padres in the Rockies’ worst game in what is quickly becoming the worst season in franchise history.

The Padres ripped off 24 hits, including five home runs. Colorado’s comatose offense countered with five hits.

Manager Bud Black characterized it as “a tough loss, but it’s just one game.”

“The guys who had tough games wear it,” Black said. “(Starter) Bradley (Blaylock) feels horrible. (Reliever) Juan (Mejia) feels horrible.

“Those guys feel it and it’s on their shoulders, so when it doesn’t happen, there is a great deal of frustration. But for guys who have been in the game a long time you are conditioned for a game like this. They happen across baseball periodically. … They are hard and you move past them the next day.”

A lively crowd of 38,423, many of them Padres fans, showed up to watch the carnage. The fans did The Wave in the sixth inning. It was impressive. At least they had a good time.

And the fans had a great time cheering veteran catcher Jacob Stallings, who was called on to pitch two emergency innings. Stallings actually struck out former Rockies catcher Elias Diaz looking in the ninth. The two catchers played together in Pittsburgh and Colorado and are close friends.

Stallings, who gave up one run on two hits, said it was “a little weird” pitching to Diaz, but he tried to have fun during his time on the mound in a blowout game.

“You never want to be in that position as a team, unless you’re winning,” said the 35-year-old Stallings, who pitched for the ninth time in his career. “I just personally try to have fun with it. It makes it easier for the guys in the clubhouse.”

Stallings throws mostly fastballs, with a few curves thrown into the mix.

Before Saturday’s game, general manager Bill Schmidt addressed the state of the club.

“I feel for the fans, I feel for the people around here,” Schmidt said. “I know we are better than we have played, but we are not good right now. We have to battle through it and get to the other side.”

But right now, it looks like the Rockies will have to climb Mount Everest to reach the other side.

In losing their eighth consecutive game, Colorado fell to 6-33, keeping pace with the infamous 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the worst start after 39 games in the Modern Era (since 1901). The ’88 O’s opened their season with 21 consecutive losses.

There were no key moments in the Padres’ victory; they got rolling with a five-run first inning and kept going. San Diego didn’t stop scoring until the seventh inning when veteran right-hander Tyler Kinley finally shut the door.

Here is a synopsis of the Padres’ Home Run Derby:

• Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer off Colorado right-hander Bradley Blaylock in the first.

• Jake Cronenworth led off the third with a solo homer off Blaylock.

• Jason Heyward launched a three-run homer off Blaylock in the fourth to make it 12-0.

• Xander Bogaerts led off the fifth with a liner into the left-field seats off reliever Juan Mejia.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. drove a three-run homer to left — also in the fifth — to increase the Padres’ lead to 19-0.

Blaylock, making his third start of the season (second since getting called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 2), was charged with 12 runs on 13 hits over 3 2/3 innings. His ERA soared to 12.94.

Saturday marked the fifth consecutive game the Rockies gave up eight or more runs, setting a dubious franchise record. They have allowed at least 10 runs in four straight, another franchise record.

For the Record

The Rockies and Padres put up some crazy numbers in the Padres’ 21-0 win at Coors Field on Saturday night:

• The Rockies lost their eighth straight game, and have lost eight consecutive games three times this season, and it’s only May 10.

• Colorado’s 21 runs allowed were its most since giving up 25 to the Angels on June 24, 2023.

• The Rockies have allowed at least 10 runs in four straight games, tying the longest such streak in the majors in the Wild Card ERA (since 1969). The Orioles did it in 2021 and the Astros did it in 2007.

• The Rockies became the sixth team in the Modern Era to lose by 21 or more runs in a shutout, and the second since 2004. The last time it happened was April 23, 2022, in the Cubs’ 21-0 win over the Pirates.

• San Diego’s 21 runs were the second-most in franchise history. They scored 24 at Washington on July 16, 2021.

• The Padres’ five home runs are their most in a game since also hitting five at Coors Field on Aug. 2, 2023. Each of the Padres’ last three five-home run games has come at Coors.

Source: Colorado Rockies media relations