Yanks Drop Fourth Straight, Fall to Rockies 6-3

     A day after both teams put double digits on the scoreboard, the Yankees and Rockies faced off in game two of this short two-game set. Hoping to get the Bombers back in the win column, Ivan Nova(5-3 record, 4.39 ERA) took the ball for New York. On the mound for the Rockies this afternoon was right-hander Chad Bettis, sporting a 4-5 record with an ERA of 5.85. It's been a tale of two seasons for the Texas Tech alumn, where in his first eight starts he went 3-1 with a 3.88 ERA, but, in his last five starts has gone 1-4  with an ERA just south of eight. However, the lack-luster Yankee bats, highlighted by Chase Headley hitting cleanup, made Chad look like the Bettis from the first eight starts.
     Though both starters went scoreless through the first two frames, the Rockies hit the scoreboard first this afternoon. With one out in the bottom of the third, D.J. LeMahieu drilled a double and scored when the next batter, the National League leader in RBI, Nolan Aranado followed up with his own double, 1-0 Colorado. The Yankees would respond in the top of the next frame, where Bettis allowed a leadoff single to Jacoby Ellsbury that was followed by a Starlin Castro one out single. With two down, the five-hole hitter Didi Gregorius singled in Ellsbury from second, tying the game at one. Then, Aaron Hicks nubbed an infield single that was accompanied by a throwing error from catcher Tony Walters that scored Castro and gave the Yankees a one run lead.
     The Rockies would come back to take the lead against Ivan Nova in the bottom of the fifth. Charlie Blackman let off the inning with a walk and then stole second base. The next batter D.J. LeMahieu muscled a single up the middle that scored Blackman, tying the game at two. Then, Nolan Aranado hit his National League leading 20th homerun, giving the Rockies a 4-2 lead. Now THAT is a dude I wouldn't mind giving up some major pieces to see in Yankee pinstripes. Colorado put their fifth run of the day on the board when Mark Reynolds singled in rookie sensation Trevor Story, making it a 5-2 contest. New York would get one of those runs back in the top of the sixth when Aaron Hicks drove in Chase Headley on a two out RBI single, 5-3 Colorado.
     Anthony Swarzak replaced Nova to begin the sixth, leaving with a sub-par final line of 5 innings pitched, allowing five earned runs on ten hits while walking two and striking out five. Bettis was also pulled to begin the seventh, departing with a final line of six innings pitched, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and five K's. It seems as though the Yankees have been making all stars out of sub par starters all season long, with today being no different.
     A combination of Delin Betances and Aroldis Chapman were used in the seventh and eighth innings in efforts to keep the deficit at two. Chapman ended up allowing another Rockie run, an RBI triple by today's Yankee killer D.J. LeMahieu, 6-3. Unfortunately for New York, the star-powerless offense made no noise in the final two frames, tying the bow on an abysmal two-game sweep.
     Let's hope the Pinstripers can turn this thing around before management dismantles this roster. New York travels to Minneapolis tonight to face off against the Twins in a four game series, with first pitch scheduled tomorrow for 8:05 PM ET.