Rockies sweep by Reds in Cincinnati as fast-track to 100-plus loss season continues

If the Rockies were a baby, you’d still call them ugly.

That ugliness continued Sunday in Cincinnati where the Rockies lost 6-2 to the Reds, who finished off a weekend sweep. Colorado fell to 5-27 on the road, an MLB-worst, while continuing to barrel toward 100 losses with its fourth consecutive defeat.

“We had multiple opportunities to get a big hit, but we left 12 guys on base,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “(Our offense) couldn’t deliver… It seems as though that we got guys on base with the guys who are swinging the bats well, then the (lineup) gets to the guys who are scuffling, and that’s where the breakdown occurs.”

The Rockies, thumped in the first two games of the series, got off to a good start Sunday with Charlie Blackmon’s sacrifice fly in the first scoring Raimel Tapia to make it 1-0.

But the Reds grabbed the momentum right back against right-hander Antonio Senzatela. Joey Votto’s RBI single in the second evened the game, then Eugenio Suarez hit a slider for a two-run homer to make it 3-1.

“After that, he did a fine job of settling into the game, and he was pretty efficient,” Black said. “He gave us what we needed — a chance to win with three runs through six innings.”

Cincinnati’s Tony Santillan, making his major league debut, lasted until into the fifth. He plunked Trevor Story then issued two-out walks to Brendan Rodgers and C.J Cron before getting the hook.

“He’s got a fine arm,” Black said of Santillan. “The stuff was there, and we had a couple opportunities against him and we couldn’t break through.”

Reds’ reliever Ryan Hendrix struck out Dom Nunez to end the threat.

The stalemate continued into the seventh, until Ryan McMahon’s home run got the Rockies within 3-2. It was his 15th dinger of the season.

Senzatela came back out for the seventh but didn’t last long. He hit leadoff man Kyle Farmer, then gave up a double to Shogo Akiyama to end his day. Right-hander Carlos Estevez came on in relief and didn’t fare much better, walking the first hitter he faced before the Reds scored three runs to make it 6-2.

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