Rockies off to worst 50-game start since 1895
Ranger Suárez pitched into the seventh inning to outduel German Márquez, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Thursday to sweep a four-game series.
Colorado fell to 8-42 — the worst 50-game start in Major League Baseball’s modern era (since 1901). Before that, you have to go back to the 1895 Louisville Colonels (7-43) to find a worse start.
The Rockies are 5-20 at home and on pace to lose 136 games this season, which would pass the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134) for the most losses by an MLB team. By contrast, the Chicago White Sox set the modern-era record for losses last season with 121.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has won seven straight overall and 11 of its past 12 on the road en route to the best 50-game mark (32-18) in the National League this season. The Phillies have won four straight road series. They have also won all seven games against the Rockies this season — the first time in franchise history they have swept a season series of at least seven games.
Suárez (3-0) struck out six and walked three in 6⅔ innings. He left after giving up a two-out double to Jordan Beck and a walk to Ezequiel Tovar.
Orion Kerkering came on and retired Hunter Goodman on one pitch to end the threat. Jordan Romano got the final three outs for his sixth save.
Márquez (1-7) gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits, struck out five and walked two.
“I feel like every day is our day, and we have to go out there and do the best to win,” Márquez told reporters after the game. “I feel we need to be together, and I feel we’re closer to that point.”
Márquez walked Kyle Schwarber leading off the seventh, and Max Kepler drove him home with a one-out double to make it 2-0.
Bryce Harper‘s double in the fourth scored Bryson Stott, who reached on an error leading off the inning.
Colorado had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the second inning. Brenton Doyle tripled with one out, but Tyler Freeman grounded out to Trea Turner at short and Kyle Farmer flew out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
The Rockies have been shut out eight times this season, and their 45 errors through 50 games are the most by an MLB team since the 2019 Seattle Mariners.
With the New York Yankees arriving to start a three-game series Friday, it continues to look bleak for the Rockies, who have yet to announce a starter for that game.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are rolling. The Carolina Hurricanes are reeling.
Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves, and the Panthers beat the Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the Panthers, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists in the win.
“It might have been natural for us to take a little bit to get going tonight, and it was the exact opposite,” said Tkachuk, whose putaway off the feed from Verhaeghe at the crease marked his first goal since Game 3 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It was an unreal start from us. The goals aside, just the way we played in the first period was as good as it gets. Yeah, that’s just a hell of a road trip.”
Florida had already ripped home-ice advantage away Tuesday night with a 5-2 win, the opener in a rematch of the 2023 conference finals swept by the Panthers with four one-goal wins. Florida tightened its grip on the series with this one and now heads back south to host Game 3 on Saturday night.
Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov added a goal midway through the third as punctuation.
Bobrovsky had his third shutout of the playoffs this year and the sixth of his career, with Florida’s defense smothering a Carolina team that typically peppers the net with shots but found little daylight.
Florida has won four straight road games by a combined score of 22-4, this time sending Hurricanes fans fleeing for the exits early.
“It’s fun when you’re on the road and it goes quiet,” Verhaeghe said. “It feels like we’re doing our job.”
It wasn’t all great news for Florida. Veteran forward Sam Reinhart was knocked from the game in the first period after taking a hit from Sebastian Aho in the left leg, causing Reinhart’s knee to bend awkwardly.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the game that Reinhart would be evaluated Friday and that there would be no update on Reinhart’s status until Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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