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Rockies Finish Fast vs. Nationals
Colorado's Clint Barmes scored on a single by Choo Freeman in the sixth inning. The Rockies went up 6-1 in the inning.
(By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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But in the sixth, the Rockies pecked away, and O'Connor collapsed. Matt Holliday broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run double, and O'Connor's night was finished after he gave up a first-pitch, two-run double on a poor curveball to Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes, "probably the at-bat that killed me and let the game get away," he said.
Robinson called it "a terrible breaking ball -- up, and out over the plate. No break to it."
When reliever Saul Rivera came on and allowed a single that scored Barmes, O'Connor was charged with more runs in that single frame -- five -- than he been had in any of his other nine major league starts.
"It's probably the most frustrating outing I've had," O'Connor said. "I was cruising along, pitching really well, and then all of a sudden, just had the big inning."
With the Rockies up 6-1, the Nationals had little chance of coming back. But even the small amount of remaining hope was squelched when veteran left-hander Mike Stanton came on for the seventh and promptly allowed three runs. Stanton, 39, faced one batter in the Nationals' 4-3 loss on Monday night, and his performance last night put a further spotlight on his ineffectiveness when he pitches on back-to-back nights. He now has a 12.66 ERA in such situations, though he said it was "no issue at all."
"That's probably just a couple of games," he said.
That's how the Nationals tried to treat the past two performances, just a couple of games dropped to the Rockies, games they can make up over the last five games of this homestand. Robinson, though, had a decidedly different demeanor after the game than he did before. Asked if he talked to his team afterward, he said he no. But his mood was clear.
"A wise old man said: 'Keep your mouth shut when upset,' " Robinson said, " 'because you might misspeak.' "
