DENVER — Jeff Locke entered the Pirates quirky one-game road trip Thursday as one of the hottest pitchers in the National League.
The left-hander had won four straight straight starts, a stretch that featured a 2.76 ERA and his first career complete game and shutout.
But strong pitching streaks have a way of disappearing at Coors Field as quickly as the line drives cutting through the thin Denver air. Locke found that out the hard way, crashing down to earth with his worst outing of the season in an 11-5 loss to Rockies, the makeup of a rain-scrubbed game earlier this season, and one the Pirates will be eager to rinse away.