The Rockies have been feeble on the road all season. Thursday night, Spencer Strider made them look helpless.
Atlanta’s sensational rookie right-hander struck out 16 to set a new Atlanta Braves franchise record and allowed just two hits over his eight innings.
The Braves won, 3-0, to take the three-game series.
The Rockies were shut out for the third time in their last eight road games. They are now 20-44 away from Coors Field and own the worst road record in the majors.
Colorado’s C.J. Cron spoiled Strider’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the fifth. Rookie right-fielder Michael Toglia hit a one-out double in the eighth.
Strider’s performance conjured up memories of Clayton Kershaw’s near-perfect game against the Rockies on June 18, 2014, at Dodger Stadium. The lefty struck out 15 Rockies and only missed a perfect game when shortstop Hanley Ramirez threw away Corey Dickerson’s chopper to start the seventh inning.
While Colorado’s offense has been AWOL during most of the current 10-game road trip, their pitching has been mostly solid.
Thursday night, right-hander Chad Kuhl would have had to be perfect to keep the Rockies in the game. He was pretty good, but far from perfect.
For three innings, Kuhl was white hot, allowing no runs on one hit and striking out five. He wobbled in the fourth when Austin Riley devoured Kuhl’s meatball change-up, sending it over the left-field wall for a solo homer, his 33rd of the season.
Kuhl’s fifth inning was messy. Michael Harris II led off with a homer to right and Vaughn Grissom singled up the middle. Kuhl got two flyball outs but walked Ronald Acuna Jr. and gave up an RBI single to Dansby Swanson.
What had been a 1-0 Braves lead was now 3-0, and with Strider on the mound, the Rockies were in need of a Mount Everest-sized comeback.
The Rockies begin a three-game road trip at Cincinnati on Friday night.
