DENVER — On the brink of the homestretch toward October that could get really rocky as it decides the division title, the Cardinals conclude their schedule against lackluster teams with a stop at Coors Field and a series that features a pitching staff that appears to be as hospitable to visiting hitters as its ballpark.
A double negative proved positive for Colorado as a winless starter and a porous bullpen combined to hold the Cardinals to one run, scored on a groundout, in the Rockies’ breezy, 2-1 victory Tuesday night in Denver’s downtown ballpark. Colorado’s all-around All-Star Nolan Arenado did Nolan Arenado things – launching a moonshot and heisting hits – and his first-inning, two-run homer provided all the runs the Rockies needed as starter Chi Chi Gonzalez and a cast of relievers stymied the first-place Cardinals in front a partisan crowd decked in red and ready to cheer Yadier Molina.