DENVER - The Phillies' road trip turned nightmarish Saturday night when rookie Nick Pivetta gave up five runs in the first and three more in the third, leading to an 8-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
It was the Phillies' fifth straight loss on their current eight-game trip. They have scored seven runs in two losses at hitter-friendly Coors Field and 12 runs during their five-game skid.
Pivetta gave up five runs in a 42-pitch first, a rally that included three singles, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a hit batter and first baseman Tommy Joseph's two-base error. Pivetta lasted a career-low tying 2⅔ innings, departing after Pat Valaika homered in the third.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez needed 36 pitches to complete a two-run first Friday, but he lasted five innings and allowed just those two runs in what became a 4-3 loss. Pivetta was considerably less fortunate and unable to take the game through three innings.
Rockies starter Jon Gray limited the Phillies to one run in seven innings before Daniel Nava hit a three-run homer off Zac Rosscup in the eighth. The Phillies tacked on a run in the ninth when Freddy Galvis' two-out flare fell between leftfielder Carlos Gonzalez and shortstop Valaika.
(More coming …)
