Rockies split doubleheader with Mariners but lose series

Twenty-two games into the season, the Rockies have yet to win back-to-back games.

Call it the Rockies’ Catch-22.

If they hit well — an increasingly rare occurrence — they don’t pitch well. If they pitch well — an occasional occurrence — they don’t hit.

After beating the Mariners, 2-1 in 10 innings, in the opener of Sunday’s split-doubleheader at Coors Field to snap a six-game losing streak, Colorado had a chance for back-to-back wins. But that opportunity evaporated when the Mariners blew up starter Peter Lambert with a six-run second inning and cruised to a 10-2 victory.

It didn’t help that Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock limited the Rockies to two runs on four hits over six innings. The two runs came on Elias Diaz’s two-run double in the first.

Manager Bud Black continues to lament his club’s missed opportunities at the plate.

“We are just missing some pitches,” he said. “If you notice all of the foul balls that are taking place, it seems like we are just a tick late on the fastball. On the secondary pitches, we are just a little bit ahead. Our timing is just a little bit off with a number of players. We are not squaring up the ball. And we had some pitches to hit today.”

Second baseman Brendan Rodgers agreed with Black and added, “The clutch hit, the bases-loaded hit, the two-out hit with men on second and third early in the game is something we need to capitalize on a little bit more.”

And so the Mariners took two of three to win the series, leaving Colorado (5-17) without a series victory this season.

Lambert, who had been the Rockies’ long reliever, moved into the starting rotation when left-hander Kyle Freeland went on the injured list with an elbow strain. Lambert was eager to show what he could do, but the second inning was messy.

Seattle ripped off six hits, including a three-run triple by J.P. Crawford. Lambert hit Luke Raley and Luis Urias in back-to-back at-bats, setting the table for Crawford’s big hit. Then Crawford scored on Lambert’s wild pitch.

“It kind of snowballed quickly; it happened really fast,” Lambert said. “Obviously, the two hit-by-pitches didn’t help. I fell behind some guys, and with Crawford with the bases juiced, you can’t really do that.”

The Mariners stowed the game away with a three-run sixth against right-hander Noah Davis. Seby Zavala hit a two-out double and scored on Julio Rodriguez’s two-out bloop single to right. Cal Raleigh put an exclamation point on the inning with a two-run homer to center.

Davis, added to the roster as the 27th player for the doubleheader, departed the game in the seventh inning with a right shoulder injury. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday. After the game, he was sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

“He felt some tightness in his shoulder,” Black said. “We’ll see what’s next with Noah.”

Colorado’s victory in the opener featured a wild final two innings.

Ryan McMahon’s RBI infield single in the 10th drove in Charlie Blackmon and gave the Rockies their second walk-off win this season. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s single to score Jacob Stallings had tied the game, 1-1.

McMahon also played hero in the Rockies’ first walk-off win of the season when he hit a grand slam in a 10-7 victory over Tampa Bay on April 5 in the Rockies’ home opener.