Kris Bryant, Rockies hope to fare better at home vs. Rays

The Colorado Rockies haven't gotten off to the start they wanted in 2024, and neither has Kris Bryant.

The former National League MVP went hitless in his first 18 at-bats before breaking out with two hits at the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, but it was in another losing effort.

Colorado has struggled out of the gate, with poor starting pitching and quiet bats for most of the first seven games. The Rockies have scored two or fewer runs in four games, but the good news is they will now be playing in the friendly confines of Coors Field when they host the Tampa Bay Rays for their home opener on Friday afternoon.

Colorado will send right-hander Austin Gomber (0-0, 7.71 ERA) against Rays righty Zack Littell (1-0, 0.00).

Gomber has faced Tampa Bay just once in his career, Aug. 23 of last year, and got a no-decision after allowing three runs in six innings.

Gomber got the start in the Rockies' only win this season but didn't factor into the decision against Arizona on Saturday. He was denied the win when he left the game with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and Colorado leading 7-4 in an eventual 9-4 win.

It marked one of the few times the Rockies' offense had come alive. They scored three runs in the next three games and started their series in Chicago being outscored 17-2.

They broke out Wednesday with eight runs on 11 hits, with Bryant and Charlie Blackmon (three hits) leading the way. Bryant reached base in his last three at-bats to break out of his slump.

"I feel like I've matured a lot over the last handful years in just realizing, when you kind of go out there and try too hard, things usually don't go your way," Bryant said. "I'll just keep putting in the work and being prepared. That's all you can really do in this game. That's all you can really control, and I'm proud of that work that I put in and I'm confident that the results will keep showing up."

Unlike the Rockies, Littell had a stellar start to his 2024 campaign. He scattered four hits over six shutout innings against Toronto on Saturday and now faces a struggling Colorado lineup.

Littell is 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 11 games -- one start -- in his career against the Rockies.

Both teams were off Thursday, and for the Rays that gave second baseman Brandon Lowe an extra day to recover. Lowe left Wednesday's loss to Texas in the sixth inning with tightness in his left side.

Lowe sought to remain in the game but manager Kevin Cash wanted to be cautious with him.

"He just felt it -- it was tight -- and he's too important to kind of push through it at this point," Cash said.

Lowe has battled injuries over the last two seasons, playing in just 65 games in 2022 and 109 games last year after fouling a ball off his right kneecap. A stress reaction in his back cost him most of the 2022 season.