The Colorado Rockies dropped the last game of their series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, 10-8 at Coors Field in Denver.

The Rockies avoided the sweep, but the loss leaves them at 3-3 over their brief six-game homestand. 

Heading into the middle innings, command of the game belonged to Colorado.

The Rockies opened the matinee matchup with two runs in the first inning thanks to an RBI double by TJ Rumfield and a subsequent RBI single by Mickey Moniak to make it a 2-0 game. After the Cardinals put a run on the board in the second, Colorado delivered another punch.

In the bottom of the third, Moniak made his mark on the game again. This time, it was with a three-run home run to center field that gave the Rockies a 5-1 lead. They were in the driver’s seat, but it did not last.

In the top of the fifth inning, Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon opened the frame with a strikeout before forcing a groundout. It seemed as if Colorado’s defense was going to get off the field with ease, but disaster followed.

Gordon gave up a single and a double before walking Jordan Walker to load the bases. Then, he allowed a two-RBI single to Leo Bernal that cut the Rockies’ lead to 5-3 and compelled manager Warren Schaeffer to go to his bullpen.

Schaeffer selected Jimmy Herget to take the mound, but it did not limit the damage that was done. The first batter Herget faced was Joshua Baez, and he hit a two-RBI single of his own to tie the game.

Colorado fell behind 7-5 when Herget gave up a two-run home run to Nolan Gorman before finally getting the elusive third out to get off the field. All the Rockies needed was one out, and they gave up six runs and the lead in pursuit of it.

The Cardinals weren’t done, either. In the top of the eighth, they tacked on three more runs when Ivan Herrera hit a two-RBI double off Nick Frasso, and Alec Burleson followed suit with an RBI single. 

Between the top of the fifth and the top of the eighth, the Rockies allowed nine unanswered runs, which spoiled the three runs they scored between the eighth and the ninth. After a meltdown in the ninth inning of Friday’s series opener, Colorado found a way to squander the finale, too.

It was a winnable series for the Rockies, but in the spirit of another arduous season, they are just lucky to have avoided a sweep.