The Rockies ended one historic streak on Friday but couldn’t end their spree of losing series two days later.

They fell to the Pirates 5-3 on Sunday to wrap up their 11th consecutive non-winning series to start 2024. Colorado tied a four-game set with San Diego but has lost the other 10 series and failed to register back-to-back wins. It’s the longest stretch the franchise has gone without winning a series to begin a season.

Here’s a breakdown of the losing series, and the moments that mattered most:

The Moment

— The Rockies ended the league’s longest streak of deficits to start a season on Friday.

Ryan McMahon became the second Colorado hitter in franchise history to splash a home run into the Allegheny River as part of a three-run sixth inning. It was the only frame the Rockies scored but proved to be enough.

“It’s good to (not) be an anecdote for sure,” manager Bud Black said after Friday’s 3-2 win. “It does feel good.”

Colorado set the modern-era record for consecutive games facing a deficit to start a season (31). It’s still the only team in the majors without a series win or back-to-back wins, but the step forward was positive, even if it came on the heels of one of the franchise’s most historic negatives.

Takeaway

— A team meeting was needed after a sweep to Miami, but positive results have still eluded the Rockies.

It had leads in two of three losses to the Pirates but saw each fade as the offense’s potency did too. In Sunday’s 5-3 loss, the Rockies had back-to-back home runs for the first time and looked to be on their way to a win after a three-run second inning.

Ryan Feltner had the run support he needed and quieted the Pirates until a four-run sixth inning. Connor Joe singled, Bryan Reynolds doubled, and then Oneil Cruz put the final touches on the inning with a two-run home run to put the Rockies behind for good.

Inconsistency is plaguing the club, and it won’t win until it’s fixed.

“Unable to get the big hit throughout the game,” manager Bud Black said. “That’s been a killer for our offense. Somewhere along the line, we’ve got to get a couple of guys hot and be able to capitalize on situations.

”It just hasn’t happened.”

When the rotation has succeeded, the lineup hasn’t. When both have found success, the bullpen has been the culprit.

Early leads are foreign to the Rockies in 2024, but they had a pair in a three-game set with the Pirates. The rest of their inconsistencies proved to be too much to overcome.

What went right

— Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber both deserved wins for their efforts, but an anemic offense allowed only the former to grab one.

Quantrill went 7 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday to lead the Rockies to a win, and the conclusion of their 31-game streak facing a deficit. He struck out nine in the outing, one short of his career high.

“The fastball command was the ticket, that was old-school down and away,” Black said on Friday. “The secondaries worked too — a combination of the splitter, and he can shape the slider and cutter. He really pitched, that was excellent.”

Gomber followed it up with six scoreless innings on Saturday. It was his first scoreless start of 2024, but he was outdone by Pirates’ youngster Jared Jones. He struck out 10 Rockies en route to seven scoreless innings and just one base runner allowed.

Colorado’s starters have consistently pitched deep into games, even if the road hasn’t been smooth each time. The group has just two wins in 2024 and has often been let down by an offense on par to set franchise lows for several hitting categories.

“When you get a good outing, you really should capitalize,” Black said. “We haven’t a couple of times.”

What went wrong

— Colorado is turning opposing pitchers into stars weekly.

The Rockies’ offense scored six runs in three games against the Pirates and ended their road trip on another sour note. The 1-7 stretch saw them score 23 runs in eight games, and five of the eight games came against some of the league’s worst pitching staffs in Miami (29th in team earned run average) and Houston (26th).

The Pirates presented a tougher challenge, thanks to Jones, but won’t soon be confused with the famed rotations of the 1998 Braves or 1986 Mets.

Colorado is on pace for more history in 2024 outside the deficit streak. It’s a lineup on pace for franchise-worst marks in batting average (.235), on-base percentage (.297) and slugging percentage (.363).

Against the Pirates, the Rockies hit .202 in three games and went a combined 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

The big hits aren’t coming for the Rockies, and neither are hits in general. It’s been a boon for pitchers on their schedule.

What’s up next

— Colorado will host San Francisco for a three-game series that starts on Tuesday.

It’s the first meeting between the division foes after the Giants beat the Rockies in nine of their 13 matchups in 2023. The latter will also travel to San Francisco later this month as part of their dreaded, Padres-Giants swing.

Pirates 5, Rockies 3

What happened: Colorado captured a three-run lead with back-to-back home runs in the second inning but watched the lead fade away quickly in the sixth inning when Pittsburgh took over for good.

On the mound: Ryan Feltner cruised through five innings before being chased in a four-run sixth. He allowed each of the Pirates five earned runs on eight hits. Tyler Kinley came in to cool the hosts for 1⅓ scoreless innings. Anthony Molina threw a scoreless eighth to give Colorado a chance at a comeback win.

At the plate: Jacob Stallings hit his second home run, and Sean Bouchard hit his first for back-to-back shots in the second inning. The Rockies had just five hits the rest of the game and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Brendan Rodgers and Elias Díaz were the only other hitters to get a hit outside the long balls.

What’s next: San Francisco Giants (TBA) at Colorado Rockies (RHP Dakota Hudson, 0-5) at 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday at Coors Field (Rockies.TV).