DENVER -- They don’t get much more ugly than this.
The Phillies began a 10-game road trip in brutal fashion Friday night. They received poor starting pitching from Jonathan Pettibone and the offense was almost a complete no-show in a 12-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field (see Instant Replay).
“Tough combination -- getting behind early with no offense to back it up,” manager Ryne Sandberg said with a sigh.
The Phillies, who have lost three of their last four to fall to 7-9, have scored just two runs in their last three games.
Coming to Coors Field, where the ball flies, can often be a boon to an offense. It wasn’t for the Phillies’ bats. They were out-hit, 18-2. Three Rockies’ hitters had three hits apiece.
Troy Tulowitzki was one of them. He drove in five runs with a three-run homer, an RBI double and an RBI single.
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And none of those were his best at-bat of the game. That came in the first inning when he fouled off eight straight pitches from Pettibone en route to drawing a 14-pitch walk. Tulowitzki eventually came around to score one of the Rockies’ four first-inning runs.
The 14-pitch walk was indicative of how the night went for Pettibone: He had a very difficult time getting outs. He lasted just four innings and allowed nine hits and eight runs.
“He just didn’t have a pitch to get him out,” said Sandberg, looking back at the 14-pitch walk to Tulowitzki. “He pitched behind in the count and they were on fastballs in fastball counts and didn’t miss any. Pitching behind in the count and elevating pitches is a tough combination.”
Especially in Coors Field, where the Rockies are hammering the ball. In seven home games, they have averaged 7.85 runs.
Coors Field is Pettibone’s personal house of horrors. He has made two starts in the place. His totals: Seven innings, 19 hits, 15 runs.
Pettibone left Coors Field after Friday night’s game with a not-so-lovely parting gift: An airplane ticket back to Lehigh Valley. He was optioned to Triple A after the game as the team purchased the contract of veteran reliever Shawn Camp. The addition of Camp gives the Phillies a little extra bullpen support until Wednesday when Cole Hamels will come off the disabled list and pitch against the Dodgers (see story).
Sandberg said Pettibone was going to head back to Triple A regardless of how Friday night’s start went. He was here plugging Hamels’ spot.
But that was no solace to Pettibone.
“It’s always tough to go back,” the right-hander said. “You want to leave a good impression so you’ll be on their mind when they need someone, so it’s frustrating. I just have to go down and get better. This is something I can learn from.”
Pettibone acknowledged that he did not make good pitches. Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood, meanwhile, made plenty of good pitches in holding the Phillies to two singles over seven innings. Cody Asche had one of the singles, breaking an 0-for-16 skid, and pinch-hitter Jayson Nix had the other.
“The hitters were saying he had late life on his fastball -- it was moving in both directions,” Sandberg said. “The guys just did not get a good look at him.”
Chatwood did not allow his first hit until there were two outs in the fifth.
“He hit his spots,” Marlon Byrd said. “It was one of those days. He had it going and we didn’t.
“We’ve got to pick it up tomorrow and try to score some early runs. They love hitting here so we need to put their backs against the wall and help our pitchers outs with some early runs.”
Kyle Kendrick pitches for the Phillies on Saturday night. Like Pettibone, he’s had problems with the Rockies. He allowed 18 hits and 11 runs in 9 1/3 innings over two starts against them last season.