Rockies’ Austin Gomber, road offense doomed in loss to Astros

Do-overs aren’t allowed in the big leagues. That’s too bad for Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber.

He pitched an excellent game Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park … if you toss out the first inning.

But then, the first inning has been Gomber’s bugaboo all season.

The Astros ambushed Gomber for five runs on six singles in the first and cruised to a 5-2 victory in Houston.

The Astros won their sixth straight and beat the Rockies for the 10th consecutive time at Minute Maid. Colorado’s longest active losing streak at any visiting ballpark dates back to Aug. 15, 2018.

Per usual, the Rockies’ road offense was comatose most of the evening.

Right-hander Hunter Brown blanked the Rockies for six innings, allowing just two hits: harmless singles to Ezequiel Tovar and Brendan Rodgers in the fourth. Brown struck out seven and walked three. After a rough start to the season, Brown has been nearly untouchable over his last seven starts, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.47 ERA.

“Good arm,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters in Houston. “He pitched with the fastball a lot tonight. He beat us with both his four-seamer and his sinker.

“He jammed the righties a lot tonight with his two-seam fastball — got in on our hands.”

Numbers illustrate Gomber’s first-inning woes. Of the 43 runs he’s allowed this season, 23 have been scored in the first inning. In his four starts in June, in which he now has a 9.39 ERA, he’s given up 15 runs in the opening frame.

Opponents have scored a run in the first inning in nine of Gomber’s 15 starts and they’re hitting .414 with four doubles and four home runs.

Black said that Gomber needs to use his fastball more in the first inning because opponents are sitting on Gomber’s off-speed pitches.

After struggling through Tuesday night’s first inning, Gomber shut down the Astros and allowed just two additional hits. At one point in his 5 1/3-inning start, Gomber set down 13 in a row. He struck out four and walked none.

“He shifted gears quickly and started throwing the fastball in good spots,” Black said. “He beat them with the fastball, both in and down and away. He reeled it back in, which is what we needed. That game could have gotten ugly early, but ‘Gomby,’ to his credit, did a nice job.”

The Rockies finally got on the board in the eighth against reliever Seth Martinez. Brenton Doyle was hit by a pitch, Ryan McMahon singled and Rodgers drove in Doyle with a slap single to right.