The Rockies aren't merely stuck in a five-game losing streak after the first five games of their current 10-game road trip. They are on a quick descent into oblivion.
This is a losing streak in which they were outscored 33-10 in being swept in a three-game visit to Philadelphia, and then let a 4-3 seventh-inning lead turn into an 8-4 loss to the Cubs on Thursday as a prelude to seeing leads of 8-0 and 9-1 turned into the Friday afternoon loss, equaling the biggest lead the franchise has ever relinquished. And now they are faced with a Saturday matchup in which they are going to activate Glendon Rusch, released by San Diego earlier this month, to face the Cubs and Ryan Dempster, who is unbeaten in six starts at Wrigley Field this season.
What's more, the 10-9 loss on Friday in which the Rockies led 9-1 after five innings happened in a game started by Aaron Cook, the one semblance of stability in the rotation. Cook gave up as many home runs (three) in the 6 1/3 innings of his Wrigley Field debut as he had in the 50 2/3 innings of his seven previous starts.
No excuses accepted, none offered.
Yes, the wind was gusting out on the rain-spattered afternoon, that became an official bummer for the Rockies when Manny Corpas took over from Cook with a 9-6 lead, a man on first and one out in the seventh, and failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, finishing off his day by giving up the game-deciding home run to Mark DeRosa. It was the first earned run Corpas had allowed in 19 days, the first home run he had given up in 24 days.
No, the wind wasn't to blame for the Rockies falling 15 games below .500 for the first time since they ended the 2005 season at 67-95, finding themselves spending back-to-back days in sole possession of last place in the NL West for only the second time this season.
"I'm not worried about the wind when I execute my pitches," said Cook, whose calling card is a ground-ball inducing sinker. "The fact is the last few innings I got pitches up and they took advantage of it. The wind was blowing out early too, and I was getting outs."
Cook's previous high for runs allowed this season was five in five innings of an 8-5 loss at Arizona on May 15. Friday was the first time he had given up seven runs in a game since a 14-5 loss at Los Angeles on Sept, 12, 2006.
CUBS 10, ROCKIES 9: The Rockies blew an eight-run lead, equaling the biggest lead they have ever relinquished. The Cubs also wiped out a 9-1 deficit for a 13-12 victory against the Rockies at Coors Field on June 22, 1999. Aaron Cook was charged with seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. Right-hander Manny Corpas, unscored upon in his six previous appearances and having allowed only four hits in 25 at-bats since May 13, failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, giving up a two-run double to Jim Edmonds and then the game-deciding two-run home run to Mark DeRosa after relieving Cook in the seventh.
