The Colorado Rockies marginally have been better on the road than at home this season, but their short trek started poorly on Friday night.
Colorado dropped a 10-6 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
The teams will meet again Saturday afternoon when the Rockies send Antonio Senzatela (3-10, 6.48 ERA) against Quinn Priester (5-2, 3.68) of the Brewers in a matchup of right-handers.
Colorado had won seven of its previous 10 road games before losing to the Brewers on Friday night. Senzatela will try to get his team even in the series when he vies for his third straight win after beginning the season with a 1-10 record.
Senzatela is facing Milwaukee for the eighth time in his career and second time this season. He allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 4 1/3 innings in Denver on April 9 to fall to 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA against the Brewers in his career.
Senzatela may not have catcher Hunter Goodman behind the plate because the latter is dealing with hamstring tightness and is day-to-day. Goodman has been one of the offensive bright spots for the Rockies, but Brenton Doyle is starting to show signs he is coming out of his prolonged slump.
Doyle is batting just .196 after going 1-for-4 Friday night but has hit the ball hard of late, including a home run off Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw on Thursday.
“You have to remind yourself, ‘Hey, you’re hitting the ball hard. You’re just not having much luck.’ Sometimes the game requires luck,” Doyle said. “”As much as you want to freak out, get frustrated, panic, whatever, because your average or on-base percentage isn’t where you want it to be, you have to stay the course.”
Priester is making his second start of the season — and of his career — against Colorado. His other outing was his debut for the Brewers on April 10 when he gave up one run over five innings in a no-decision.
Milwaukee acquired Priester from Boston just before the series in Colorado to bolster its rotation that was hit hard by injuries. He has started 10 of his 14 appearances this season, including each of his last three games.
Priester has been sharp since allowing seven runs in 4 1/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs on May 2. In his last nine starts since then, he has a 2.64 ERA and has the same mindset as a starter and reliever.
“If I come in the third inning or the fourth inning, make the pitch,” Priester said. “Just because it’s the third inning or fourth inning, there’s no excuse to not make that pitch.
“Having that mindset, I think, has alleviated all of the, ‘Oh, well, this feels different, and that is not something I’m typically used to.’ Because the expectation is the same. So just go out there, do the job that’s asked of me and try to exceed those expectations and help us win games.”
–Field Level Media
