Nolan Arenado made a majestic return from his five-game suspension Friday, hitting a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw to give the Rockies a lead over the Cubs in the first inning of the series opener.
But the feel-good vibes on a chilly night at Coors Field were short-lived. Chicago blasted starter Jon Gray and reliever Bryan Shaw for seven runs in a disastrous sixth, the offense sputtered and the Rockies were sloppy on defense and the bases in a 16-5 defeat.
Once again, Gray was inconsistent with his command from the opening frame, when Javier Baez crushed an elevated slider 410 feet to right on the third pitch of the game to make it 2-0 Cubs.