- Colorado Rockies fall to 4-22, marking franchise's worst 26-game start
- Austin Hays bats .386 since April 15 with 2 HRs in Saturday's win
- Antonio Senzatela surrenders MLB-high 50 hits this season
The Colorado Rockies' catastrophic season hit new lows Saturday, dropping their 13th game in 14 attempts against the surging Cincinnati Reds. Austin Hays' sixth-inning 429-foot missile broke a 3-3 deadlock, cementing Cincinnati's third consecutive victory while extending Colorado's unparalleled franchise struggles.
Hunter Greene's eight-strikeout performance underscored a growing trend among NL Central pitchers - seven of MLB's top 15 K/9 leaders now hail from the division. Meanwhile, Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela continues battling command issues, his 50 allowed hits representing a 19% increase over his career average through five starts.
Rookie infielder Adael Amador provided Colorado's lone bright spot, launching his first MLB homer in the ninth. The 22-year-old's emergence parallels recent MLB data showing 18% of 2024 home runs have come from players under 25 - the highest percentage since 2017.
Denver's sports economy feels the ripple effects, with Coors Field attendance dipping 37% below 2023 averages. Local vendors report concession sales plummeting to 2014 levels, illustrating how prolonged losing streaks impact ancillary businesses.
Emilio Pagán's seventh save highlighted Cincinnati's bullpen dominance - Reds relievers now lead the NL with 89% stranded runners. This bullpen reliability contrasts sharply with Colorado's 4.89 relief ERA, exposing a critical gap in late-game execution.
As both teams prepare for Sunday's series finale, all eyes remain on Colorado's front office. Historical data from similar 26-game starts shows just 11% of teams reach .500 by season's end, intensifying pressure for organizational changes.