The Rockies managed just one hit in a 5-0 shutout loss to the Brewers on June 28. Quinn Priester silenced bats like Ryan McMahon's. Read how it all went wrong.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's hard to win a baseball game when you can't hit, and the Colorado Rockies learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday. The offense was completely silenced in a 5-0 shutout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, managing just a single, solitary hit over nine innings of futility at American Family Field.
The Rockies' offense was held hitless outside of Michael Toglia, with key bats like Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle going 0-for-4.
The box score tells a brutal story. Brewers starter Quinn Priester carved up the Rockies lineup for seven dominant innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight. That lone hit came from the bat of Michael Toglia, a lonely single in a sea of outs. The rest of the lineup, including stalwarts Ryan McMahon and Brenton Doyle, went a combined 0-for-the-day. Rockies starter Germán Márquez battled but ultimately took the loss, falling to 3-9 after giving up four runs in five innings. The defeat drops the Rockies to a dismal 18-65 on the season, continuing a painful skid.
The offensive struggles weren't helped by the absence of second baseman Thairo Estrada, who remained sidelined with a right hand contusion. After recently returning from a fractured wrist, this latest setback is another frustrating blow for a player the Rockies were counting on for production. His day-to-day status leaves a hole in the infield and another question mark in a lineup desperately searching for answers.
In a season defined by big-league struggles, the brightest hope often lies in the future. Down on the farm, several prospects are turning heads. Infielder Warming Bernabel is on a tear at Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting a scorching .423 in June. At Double-A Hartford, left-hander Sean Sullivan has been lights out, posting a 2.95 ERA, while infielder Kyle Karros is also swinging a hot bat with a .321 average this month. These performances are a crucial reminder that while the present is bleak, the pipeline is nurturing talent that could one day change the narrative in Denver.
While Saturday was another chapter in a season of offensive frustration, the bright spots in the farm system offer a glimmer of hope. As the trade deadline approaches, the strong performances from players like Bernabel and Sullivan could influence the front office's strategy. For now, the Rockies will look to simply put a ball in play and find a spark to carry them out of this deep slump.