Friday was also a bad day for Rays reliever Colin Poche

DENVER — Before the Rays lost the game on the ninth-inning grand slam Jason Adam allowed to Ryan McMahon, they lost the lead in the sixth inning when Colin Poche faltered.

And that also was part of their frustrating Friday against the Rockies.

After scoring only a run in the first — after getting three of their first four hitters on against Austin Gomber — and another in the second, they took a 2-1 lead to the sixth.

Manager Kevin Cash opted to pull starter Zack Littell, who had allowed one run on five hits, struck out five and threw only 69 pitches over five innings, and went to Poche.

Littell said he was surprised, because he always wants to go deeper, but understood there are always workload issues to be managed, and felt good about what he did.

Cash said he had reasons, primarily that the bullpen — which they consider the strength of the team — was fresh.

“We’re going to be aggressive with the bullpen,” he said. “If we’ve got a tight ballgame, we’re going to continue to go about it that way. Littell pitched a heck of a ballgame, really threw the ball well.”

Another reason: Two of the first three Rockies due up were lefties. But Nolan Jones led off with a single, and McMahon delivered a one-out double. Poche then allowed a sacrifice fly to Elias Diaz and a two-run homer to right-hander Ezequiel Tovar.

Poche said he was “competing with B-plus stuff at best” due to a drop of 2-3 mph in fastball velocity — which he said was totally a matter of mechanics and not an injury issue.

“I’m not a guy who throws hard, but I can’t really afford to have velo down like that,” he said. “So didn’t have my best stuff and was still trying to compete in the zone. Good hitters are going to make you pay for that. And that’s what they did.”

Weather report

After a 75-degree first-pitch temperature that marked the warmest April opener in Rockies franchise history, first-pitch temperature for Saturday night’s game is forecast to be 47 degrees. Morning rain is expected to be followed by winds gusting up to 50 mph and feels-like temperatures in the high 30s.

Historical context

The Rays, per Opta Stats, are the first team to erase a four-run deficit in the top of the ninth inning and then lose on a walkoff grand slam. … Friday’s game marked the 13th time the Rays lost on a walkoff grand slam in their 27 seasons of play; in that span no other team has allowed more than seven. … The Rockies hit their third-ever walkoff grand slam.

Nice try

Though for naught, the Rays’ ninth inning rally was impressive.

Trailing 6-2 with three outs left, the Rays opened the ninth with four straight hits off Justin Lawrence as Yandy Diaz doubled, Harold Ramirez singled in a run, Randy Arozarena singled and Isaac Paredes singled, which loaded the bases.

Amed Rosario’s groundout to shortstop scored a run to make it 6-4. Then catcher Ben Rortvedt, who took over in the sixth after Rene Pinto was subbed by pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe, bounced a single over the infield that scored two to make it 6-6.

The Rockies switched to ex-Ray Jalen Beeks, and he got Jose Siri to ground to third, but McMahon made an errant throw and Rortvedt — who stopped initially on his way home — scored the go-ahead run when first baseman Kris Bryant couldn’t make the scoop.

Miscellany

The Rays have stolen a base in each of their first eight games, their longest such streak to start a season and one shy of their overall consecutive games mark by the 1999 Devil Rays. ... Lefty Tyler Alexander, who pitched behind an opener in his Rays debut, will start on Saturday. Alexander said the key will be better control and command of his pitches. … Brandon Lowe, cleared after a Thursday MRI showed no issues with the oblique area tightness he felt Wednesday, returned to action as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and then played second. … Centerfielder Jose Siri had his first three-walk game.

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