DENVER — Phillies pitcher Jerome Williams continued to have problems on the road in a 7-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday.
Williams gave up five runs in five innings to fall to 0-3 with a 8.38 ERA in four road starts.
The Phillies split the four-game series in Colorado. They have still won seven of their last nine games. Five of those wins have come against Arizona and Colorado, two NL West clubs with losing records.
The Phils will face a stiffer challenge this weekend against the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.
Starting pitching report
Williams lasted just five innings and surrendered five runs on eight hits, including a two-run home run by Michael McKenry with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. That home run came a half-inning after Ryan Howard tied the game with a homer.
Williams walked three and hit a batter. Two of those base runners became runs. He did not strike out a batter. Severino Gonzalez did not strike out a batter in Wednesday night’s start.
Williams is 3-4 is nine starts. His ERA is 5.44, which ranks sixth-worst among qualifying NL pitchers.
Colorado lefty Jorge De La Rosa gave up five hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Bullpen report
Elvis Araujo gave up three hits and two runs as the Rockies salted it away in the seventh, but the damage could have been mitigated if shortstop Freddy Galvis had made a play on a potential double-play ball. Galvis misplayed the ball and it went for a hit to extend the inning.
The Rockies’ bullpen delivered 4 2/3 scoreless innings with Christian Bergman earning the win.
At the plate
The Phils had chances but were just 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Darin Ruf started in left field and batted third. He drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly. He also doubled.
Howard’s homer off the lefty De La Rosa was his ninth in 28 games.
Chase Utley tripled and scored.
Troy Tulowitzki had a two-run single for the Rockies in the third inning. McKenry’s home run was his first of the season.
In the field
Galvis, who played so well at shortstop on Wednesday night, made a careless throwing error and could have been charged with a fielding error, as well, if it weren’t for some generous scoring.
Maikel Franco, playing a shift on the right side of the field, also made a throwing error. It was his third error since joining the club a week ago.
Lineup stuff
Utley batted second. In his last six games, he has hit sixth four times, third once and second once. He has at least a hit in each one of those games and an extra-base hit in five of them.
Ben Revere did not start as Ruf got the nod in left against the lefty. Revere is unfazed by recent trade talks (see story).
Up next
The Phillies move on to Washington for a three-game series against the NL East-leading Nationals beginning Friday night. Here are the pitching matchups:
Friday night — RHP Sean O’Sullivan (1-2, 3.68) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (4-3, 1.75)
Saturday afternoon — LHP Cole Hamels (4-3, 3.24) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (3-4, 5.98)
Sunday afternoon — RHP Aaron Harang (4-3, 1.82) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.94)