Phillies Drop 7 Straight After 4-1 Loss To Rockies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies repeated a familiar pattern Sunday, getting little offense while watching opponents hit the long ball.

DJ LeMahieu homered and had three hits, Nolan Arenado also went deep and the Colorado Rockies beatPhiladelphia 4-1 to hand the Phillies their season-worst seventh consecutive defeat.

The Phillies' losing streak is their longest since dropping eight in a row in July 2013. Philadelphia was swept at home by Colorado for the first time in club history.

Philadelphia totaled four runs during the three-game series and has scored just 12 during the skid. Meanwhile, the Rockies bashed eight homers over the weekend against Phillies pitching.

"Tough mix," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "That combination has not been good."

Philadelphia finished with seven hits and went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, leaving the team with one hit in its last 28 at-bats in those situations.

"We weren't able to do anything on the offensive side of things and are struggling with the bats collectively," Sandberg said. "We have to swing the bats and create offense."

Philadelphia's biggest chance to get back in the game came in the seventh when it loaded the bases with no outs, chasing Chris Rusin (1-0) in the process. But right-hander Brooks Brown kept the Phillies off the scoreboard, striking out Cameron Rupp, pinch-hitter Darin Ruf and Ben Revere in order on 11 pitches.

"They had our number," Revere said. "You get ticked off about going down like that."

Phillies starter Jerome Williams (3-5) capped a forgettable month, allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings. He finished 1-4 in May with a 6.62 ERA in seven starts.

"It's not about trying to be perfect, it's about trying to put up zeros," Williams said.

Of the offense, Williams said: "It's hard luck that balls are going right at people or to the warning track. We know as a team that we can swing the bats. It's just not happening right now."

Rusin replaced injured starter Jordan Lyles with one out in the second and pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings to help the Rockies win their fourth straight and seventh in eight games.

Lyles re-aggravated an injury to his left big toe, which he sprained in his previous start, when he tried to avoid Cody Asche's line-drive single up the middle.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss and a trainer came to the mound, and Lyles threw one warmup toss before Weiss patted him on the back and took the ball. It was the third start in the last four that Lyles left due to injury. He exited May 13 with a bruised pitching hand.

Rusin came in and shut down Philadelphia. The left-hander was recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday to fill in for injured Jorge De La Rosa and pitched well, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings. Rusin stayed around as a potential emergency starter for either De La Rosa, who missed his second straight start Saturday with a cut on the middle finger of his pitching hand, or Lyles.

Colorado has permitted just 16 earned runs in its last eight games. The Rockies have averaged 5.7 runs in their seven wins during that stretch.

Scott Oberg pitched a scoreless ninth for his first career save.

The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the first when Arenado followed LeMahieu's single with a drive to deep left-center. It was the fifth homer in the last seven games for Arenado.

Philadelphia got its lone run in the second on Rupp's RBI double.

LeMahieu's two-run homer to left in the fifth made it 4-1.

ROLLIN' NOLAN

Arenado is batting .429 with 14 RBIs in his last seven games. His success is no surprise to Weiss.

"He's always been clutch and he's always been a good hitter," Weiss said. "It's really not surprising what he's doing. He could always hit."

NOT GIVING UP

Despite their recent struggles, Revere said the Phillies will stay together with a positive outlook.

"You have little bumps, but we're going to compete and look forward to the next game," Revere said. "We can't turn our backs on each other. We have to keep competing."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: LF Ben Paulsen was replaced in the bottom of the third after suffering a migraine. Brandon Barnes took his place.

Phillies: Sandberg rested healthy SS Freddy Galvis, who has three hits in his last 31 at-bats.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Kyle Kendrick (2-6, 6.38 ERA) opposes LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-3, 3.86) when the Rockies open a series at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.

Phillies: After an off day, RHP Sean O'Sullivan (1-4, 4.81) takes the mound in the first of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. O'Sullivan, who will face RHP Johnny Cueto (3-4, 3.03), has a 6.94 ERA in his last two outings.

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