Colorado 7 – Pittsburgh 1

W: Esmil Rogers (1-0)
L: Paul Maholm (0-1)
Post-Game Wrapup: In front of the second largest crowd (39,215 fans) in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Pirates bats (4-3) went silent in a disapointing 7-1 home opener loss to the Colorado Rockies (4-1).
Rockies No. 5 starter Esmil Rogers allowed just four singles and 1 run, while pitching into the eighth inning, earning his first victory of the season.
Rogers struck out 7 and walked just 1 batter in 7 1/3 dominant innings. He dominated the Pirates with a 95-96 mph fastball that the Pirates couldn’t catch up with, while throwing an excellent breaking ball to mix things up.
Rogers gave up singles to the first two batters in Jose Tabata and Neil Walker, than went on to retire 22 of 23 batters, including 18 straight.
All it took was 73 pitches for Rodgers to get through six innings. Overall he threw 95 pitches in 7 1/3 innings, throwing 63 strikes.
The Pirates 3-through-7 hitters went a combined 0-for-17.
Starter Paul Maholm took the loss for the Pirates, allowing 8 hits and 5 runs (3 ER) in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
A Neil Walker throwing error in the first inning, led to Dexter Fowler scoring from first and than setup up another run as the Rockies took an early 2-0 lead.
The throwing error was a big play in the game, as Carlos Gonzalez who grounded into a fielder’s choice to first on Walker’s throwing error, went to third on the error and star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Gonzalez.
It put the Pirates in an early hole but really didn’t matter in the scheme of things as the Pirates could not get anything going against Rogers.
Walker, nonetheless, is becoming a leader in the clubhouse and took the blame for the error. He was among the Pirate players very disappointed in the team’s effort in front of a sellout crowd.
Maholm had no answers for Tulowitzki who hit a sacrfice fly in the first inning, a solo home run in the third inning and a 1 run double in the sixth.
Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez combined for 5 RBI’s in the game. By contrast, Pittsburgh’s 3-4 hitters were a combined 0-for-8 with 1 RBI.
Andrew McCutchen (0-4, 1 RBI) drove in the Pirates only run in the game.
Jose Tabata (1-4, run scored) has hit safely in all 7 games this season.
Ross Ohlendorf will take the mound for the Pirates tomorrow.