Outside Coors Field, there is a banner that reminds fans that the Rockies are “here for the climb.”

On nights like Wednesday, it’s also a reminder that the ascent out of the National League West basement is a journey that will be anything but quick.

Colorado’s nightmare homestand continued Wednesday with the New York Mets planting a 10-5 defeat on the Rockies, marking the fifth straight loss since Colorado returned to Denver with plenty of optimism after a 4-2 road trip through New York and Cincinnati.

All those good vibes, however, seem like distant memories as the Atlanta Braves posted a sweep of the Rockies to start the homestand and the Mets are threatening to do the same to close it out as well.

What’s been one of the biggest reasons for Colorado’s struggles during this stretch at Coors Field? It starts with the starting pitching, which posted a 7.06 ERA before Michael Lorenzen elevated that number by giving up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings Wednesday.

On the third pitch of the game, New York’s Juan Soto planted a Lorenzen curveball 435 feet over the left-center wall to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. It was the first leadoff homer of Soto’s career and snapped an 0-for-9 skid at the plate.

Lorenzen had fared well against the Mets in his career, posting a 2.42 ERA over 48 1/3 innings. But, like seemingly everything else this homestand, what seemed on the surface to be in Colorado’s favor turned out to be the opposite.

Of course, it’s not just the pitching that has faltered in this homestand. Colorado has also failed to take advantage of chances to succeed when they have presented themselves.

Against Atlanta on Friday night, Colorado jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Braves could record an out. However, the Braves scored seven runs over the final three innings to post an 8-6 win that would, in hindsight, represent arguably the Rockies’ best chance to win of the homestand so far.

Through the first four losses of the homestand, Colorado left 32 men on base. On Wednesday, the Rockies stranded 11 more while going 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer will often remind reporters in postgame press conferences that he likes the way his team keeps battling, no matter the score.

If you’re looking for a positive from Wednesday night, there was at least that.

Down 8-0, Colorado cut the lead in half thanks to home runs by TJ Rumfield and Jake McCarthy as well as an RBI double from Troy Johnston. All three players weren’t a part of last season’s team, serving as a reminder that Colorado’s roster is indeed improved over the 119-loss squad that took the field in 2025.

One of the keys to showing progress this season for the Rockies was to reclaim home-field advantage at 20^th and Blake. Last season, Colorado was 25-56 at home and was outscored 580-369.

Wednesday’s loss was the sixth straight at home for Colorado, dropping them to 7-11 at Coors Field. While it’s still early, it’s a troubling sign if the Rockies can’t be consistently competitive at home.

As any Coloradan knows, certainly there will be moments along the climb where hikers may lose their footing or need to stop to catch their breath. The Rockies are in the middle of one of those moments right now.  

Eventually, every climb reaches a point where effort alone isn’t enough.

The Rockies can talk about resilience, energy and continuing to battle and, to their credit, there have been flashes of all three during this difficult stretch. Yet moral victories only carry so much weight when losses continue to pile up at Coors Field.

If Colorado truly wants to convince fans that this rebuild is moving in the right direction, the next step must be turning competitive moments into actual wins, especially at home. Because while the banner outside Coors Field promises a climb, right now the Rockies still look like a team searching for solid footing.

Mets 10, Rockies 5

What happened: New York jumped out to a 7-0 lead against Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen and held on, despite sixth-inning home runs from TJ Rumfield and Jake McCarthy.

On the mound: Michael Lorenzen held the Mets to just one run through the first three innings, but New York exploded for six runs against him over his final two frames. With the 11 hits surrendered, it marked the second time he has given up 11 or more in his four starts at Coors Field.

At the plate: Mickey Moniak’s ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 18 games, matching the most of his career. It’s also Colorado’s first 18-game hitting streak since Brendan Rodgers hit in 20 consecutive games in 2022.

What’s next: Jose Quintana (1-2, 4.07 ERA) is scheduled to start for Colorado opposite New York’s Christian Scott (0-0, 4.26 ERA) at Coors Field on Thursday at 1:10 p.m.