Rockies lose to Cubs, fall to 9-45

The math is not complicated. A lack of key hits, plus costly walks, plus costly errors equals 9-45.

That’s the Rockies’ historically dismal record after a 3-1 loss to the Cubs on Monday afternoon at windy Wrigley Field. With their .167 winning percentage, Colorado is on pace to finish 27-135, which would shatter the Modern Era (since 1901) record for losses in a season, set last year when the White Sox lost 121 games.

Rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist made an encouraging five-inning start, but it was lost in the Rockies’ usual shuffle.

Colorado pitchers combined for four walks, and three of those walks turned into Cubs runs. It’s a discombobulated formula for a team struggling to score runs.

“That’s a constant focus for us,” manager Warren Schaeffer answered when asked by reporters what needs to be done to clean up the walks. “It’s a matter of sticking to the process and getting after that every day.”

A microcosm of Colorado’s woeful offense was on display in the sixth inning. Catcher Jacob Stallings led off with a single off starter Jameson Taillon, and Jordan Beck followed with an infield single. Ezequiel Tovar advanced Stallings and Beck with a perfect sacrifice bunt.

But Ryan McMahon hit a chopper to second baseman Nico Hoerner, who threw out the slow-footed Stallings at home for the second out. First baseman Michael Toglia, a K waiting to happen on the road, struck out looking at a 3-2 curveball to kill the rally.

Toglia is slashing .199/.270/.364 on the road with two home runs in 83 at-bats. He went 0 for 4 Monday with three strikeouts, raising his K rate on the road to an eye-popping 48.4%. His 74 strikeouts lead the majors and his overall K rate is 39.3%. As the Rockies tried to get him out of his season-long funk, Toglia was benched for three games during last week’s homestand.

The Rockies, who fell to 3-23 on the road, are hitting .194 away from Coors Field, the lowest road average in the majors by 12 points (Pirates .206).

Colorado’s lone run came on Mickey Moniak’s homer off Taillon in the fifth. The Rockies outhit the Cubs, 5-4, but went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position, continuing a season-long trend of failing to hit in the clutch. Colorado’s average with runners in scoring position is .212, and only the White Sox (.211) are worse.

Taillon pitched 6 1/3 innings, marking his team-leading seventh outing consisting of at least six frames this season. He finished with seven strikeouts, no walks and two hits allowed.

Chicago put the game to bed in the seventh with a run off reliever Juan Mejia.

Matt Shaw drew a one-out walk, but Maejia induced a grounder from Reese McGuire. However, rather than get the easy out at first, Maejia tried to force Shaw at second. Big mistake. Maejia’s throw ended up in center field for an error. An Ian Happ single, followed by a sacrifice fly to left by Kyle Tucker, scored Shaw for a 3-1 lead.

It was the 48th unearned run the Rockies have allowed this season, the most in the majors. Their .976 fielding percentage is also the worst.

Palmquist took a big step forward in his third major league start. He pitched five innings, the deepest he’s gone in a game, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out four.

“I thought this was the best outing yet for Carson,” Schaeffer told reporters. “His fastball played up and he got some punchouts on that. He got a punchout on a slider, I believe.

“And for me, he just looked more comfortable being who he is. And he pitched the way he pitches.”

The three walks Palmquist issued — all three leading off an inning — were his weak link. The Cubs took advantage of two of their free passes.

Ian Happ opened the first inning with a walk, advanced to third on Seiya Suzuki’s double to right and scored on Dansby Swanson’s groundout to third.

Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Shaw’s leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt by McGuire and a two-out RBI single up the middle by Tucker.