NL Worst of the Night: Jeremy Guthrie Sinks Colorado Rockies to Rock Bottom

Highlighting a bad performance from the previous night in baseball might seem like a harsh way to start the morning. But look at it this way: If you had a rough night or bad day, here's someone who may have had it worse.

On Saturday, I was invited as a guest on 102.3 ESPN Denver and Jim Armstrong busted my chops about picking the Colorado Rockies to win the NL West before the season. As I explained, my rationale was that the Rockies' lineup would help them stand out in a division full of good pitching. 

But the Rockies still had to pitch well themselves. Part of that was contingent on Jeremy Guthrie providing a veteran anchor for a young starting rotation. Guthrie has been an anchor, all right. Except he's preventing the ship from going anywhere. 

Against a Seattle Mariners lineup that had scored the third-fewest runs in the American League going into this weekend, Guthrie allowed six runs and seven hits. Three of those hits were home runs, two of them coming in a third inning that essentially buried the Rockies for the day. 

Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Mariners capped off a three-game sweep at home. That knocked the Rockies into last place in the NL West. Yes, even behind the San Diego Padres—by percentage points. (Both are 12.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.) 

Guthrie's ERA jumped from 4.85 to 5.55 as a result of the loss. Only Jhoulys Chacin has a higher ERA (7.30) among Rockies starting pitchers with at least six appearances. That can't have been what Colorado had in mind when it acquired Guthrie from the Baltimore Orioles in early February for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom. 

To rub some salt in that wound, Hammel is 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA for an Orioles team that's the surprise of baseball with the best record in the AL.

For the Rockies, that deal just looks bad all around right now. 

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