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<title>Rockies win seventh straight, sweep Padres, behind starring turns by Austin Gomber, Jordan Beck</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/15/rockies-sweep-padres-win-streak-austin-gomber-jordan-beck/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 22:50:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Austin Gomber]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jordan Beck]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Colorado sweeps three-game series in San Diego for first time since 2013]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO — Thirteen months ago, Rockies lefty Austin Gomber was lost.
He had an 0-4 record and a 12.12 ERA. <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2023/04/19/rockies-austin-gomber-struggles-nolan-arenado-trade/">He made an emotional admission</a>, saying that being the centerpiece of the 2021 trade that sent Nolan Arenado to St. Louis had gotten into his head.
That Gomber is long gone.
On Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park, he blanked the Padres for six innings as the Rockies rolled to an 8-0 victory, their seventh consecutive win. During the streak, they have outscored the opposition 43-14.
The Rockies, riding their longest winning streak since 2019, swept the Padres for the first time in a three-game series in San Diego since April 12-14, 2013. Wednesday also marked Colorado’s first shutout in 93 games, the ninth-longest drought in club history.
Gomber, who has allowed just one run over his last three starts, has set the tone for Colorado’s resurrection.
“I don’t know if there is just one thing that’s changed, but mentally, I know I’m in a much better place, and I think it starts there,” Gomber said from a Rockies clubhouse that has gone from funereal to jubilant. “Physically, I’ve really just learned to trust my stuff, and I don’t ever overthrow now. That’s really increased my command.”
Gomber received oodles of support, especially from rookie left fielder Jordan Beck, who broke out in a big way. Beck hit his first major league homer, drove in five runs and came a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Colorado pounded the Padres for 12 hits.
Gomber gave up two measly singles, struck out five, walked two and whittled his ERA to 3.02. Over his last 21 starts since June 23 of last season, Gomber is 6-4 with a 3.37 ERA and 11 quality starts. Over that span, Gomber has a 2.47 road ERA.
“He had the Padres’ timing disrupted, and I thought he threw the ball well,” manager Bud Black said. “I think it’s solidified over time for Austin and now he understands how he gets his outs. For him, it’s always about mixing pitches, and for the hitters, it’s a guessing game. If they want to guess with him, go ahead.
“It’s up to Austin to have that feel and instinctive idea of how to pitch. And it’s been really, really fun to watch this culminate in what we are seeing now.”
Wednesday, Gomber masterfully mixed his four-seam fastball, changeup, knuckle curve and slider.
While Colorado’s offense has finally emerged from hibernation, the starting pitching is the foundation of the team’s 180-degree turn. Over the last 12 games, the rotation has a 3.34 ERA. During the seven-game winning streak, the ERA is a minuscule 1.96.
Beck, who extended his hitting streak to five games, began his day with a two-run double off Michael King in Colorado’s three-run second inning. Center fielder Brenton Doyle led off the inning with a 433-foot blast to the second deck in left field, his fifth homer of the season.
Beck’s first career homer, a two-run shot, arrived in the sixth and put Colorado in front, 7-0. Beck ripped into Jeremiah Estrada’s 1-1, 95.5 mph fastball, sending it 382 feet and into the left-field seats. Beck added a single in the eighth.
“We’d seen (Estrada) before in Triple-A and we knew he had a good heater,” Beck said of his home run at-bat. “That was my main focus, to be ready for that heater and be on time for it.
“It felt good. That’s something you dream about, hitting your first big-league home run. It’s something you hope you can do a bunch more times.”
Entering Wednesday’s game, Beck had yet to get a big-league hit off a fastball. He got two of them on Tuesday.
“It’s something we have talked about,” Black said. “The hits have come off breaking balls or off-speed, so it was good to see him connect on a fastball. But he’s learning. It’s baptism by fire for Jordan against major league pitching.
“But it was good to see him turn on a fastball. Good for him. He’s in a good spot.”
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Rockies Mailbag: Why can’t Colorado win playing “small ball”? 
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Red-hot Rockies beat Padres for sixth win in a row behind Cal Quantrill 
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<div class="entry-section"><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/sports/mlb/colorado-rockies/">Colorado Rockies | </a></div> <a class="article-title" href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/13/rockies-cal-quantrill-thriving-coors-field/" title="Rockies Journal: Cal Quantrill making no excuses, is thriving at Coors Field">

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</li></ul></aside>
The Rockies are off on Thursday before opening a three-game series on Friday against the Giants in San Francisco.
<h4>Pitching probables</h4>
Thursday: Off
Friday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-3, 5.20 ERA) at Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (3-1, 3.42), 8:15 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies TBA at Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (3-1, 2.44), 2:05 p.m.
Sunday: Rockies TBA at Giants RHP Keaton Winn (3-6, 6.17), 2:05 p.m.
Monday: Off
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6054960</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24136786667950.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="232315" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies' Jordan Beck celebrates with third base coach Warren Schaeffer after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-15T16:50:18+00:00</dcterms:created>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Rockies Mailbag: Why can’t Colorado win playing “small ball”?</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/15/rockies-mailbag-colorado-small-ball/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 16:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bill Schmidt]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brenton Doyle]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bud Black]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dick Monfort]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Michael Malone]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nolan Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nuggets]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rockies Mailbag]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sean Payton]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6053525</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Why can't the Rockies try to execute as follows in a tight ballgame: the leadoff hitter gets a bunt single, he steals second, he advances to third on a fielder's choice and comes home on a sacrifice fly?]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/rockies-mailbag-form/">Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question</a> for the Rockies Mailbag.
In your (recent) Sunday article, where you <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/04/rockies-bill-schmidt-bud-black-bad-start/">interviewed general manager Bill Schmidt</a>, he used the word “execution” multiple times. Why can’t the Rockies try to execute as follows in a tight ballgame: The leadoff hitter gets a bunt single, he steals second, he advances to third on a fielder’s choice and comes home on a sacrifice fly?
— Judy, Denver
Judy, forgive me, but your question prompts a legendary sports quote. When John McKay was coaching the terrible Tampa Bay Bucs, a reporter asked McKay, “What do you think of your team’s execution coach?” To which McKay replied, “I’m in favor of it.”
The problem with your scenario is that the Rockies simply aren’t built to play that way. Few of their players are reliable bunters (that’s true of most big-league players). And although the Rockies have a little more team speed than they used to, beyond Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones, they lack true base stealers.
Bunting, as you probably know, is a dying art, in part because trying to bunt on a 99 mph fastball is very difficult.
But your main point is accurate. The Rockies — who lack home run power — need to be better playing “chain-reaction” baseball. When Schmidt said, “At some point, you have to focus on somebody else and not necessarily yourself,” I think that’s part of what he was getting at.
When will fans and media learn that “on-pace” talk is meaningless early in a baseball season? Baseball performance is cyclical, not linear.
— Dom, Longmont
Dom, I’m guilty as charged. I am among those who have projected the Rockies’ record based on their current winning percentage. With their current .317 winning percentage, they are on pace to finish 51-115. To paraphrase some former pop singer, “Oops, I did it again.”
I’m not sure such speculation is “meaningless.” Baseball has always been about trends and numbers. Early in the season, “on-pace” is a tool to describe how well or poorly a team or player is performing. It’s a long season, full of ebbs and flows. Are early season projections often off-base? Yep, but it doesn’t bug me too much.
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Red-hot Rockies beat Padres for sixth win in a row behind Cal Quantrill 
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</a>
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Rockies Journal: Cal Quantrill making no excuses, is thriving at Coors Field 
</a>
</li></ul></aside>
Hi Patrick, this is probably a repetitive question, but who, if anyone, is on the hot seat right now? Or are (owner) Dick Monfort and his merry band of inept brothers fully confident in the 2028 season and think this is just a rough patch? How’s the season treating you so far? Since you have to go to games, what do you do to make it enjoyable aside from filling in on Nuggets and other team coverage when asked? Thanks, as always, for your reporting. Hang in there.
— Joe, Denver
Joe, as I write this, the Rockies have pulled out of their tailspin and won five games in a row. They’re still on track to lose 100 games, but as far as I know, no one’s job is in jeopardy, at least not right now. At the end of the season, things could change.
Here’s the thing: Although the Rockies brass hasn’t said it publicly, the team is in a reconstruction phase and is willing to endure an up-and-down season and a bad record. And the truth is, if the Rockies came out and said, “We are in a rebuild and there are going to be some tough times,” fans would be angry about that, too.
As for your other question, I try to remind myself that sitting in the press box at a major league ballpark and writing about baseball is a great job. Because it is. However, covering a losing team is difficult because the clubhouse is often deserted, and players don’t like talking to the media when the team is losing. Also, finding things to write about when a team is bad is tough. Readership plummets, too. That’s why covering the Nuggets or high school sports on occasion is a breath of fresh air.
There isn’t another team in baseball that wouldn’t have fired Bud Black long ago. Unfortunately, since ownership doesn’t care about winning, it also doesn’t care who the manager is. What a difference there is between Black and Michael Malone or Sean Payton. If nothing else, the Rockies need a new voice at the helm — one that will get the players, media and fans excited. Until that happens, all concerned will continue to accept losing that is also complacent and boring. My question: Who would be a good candidate and actually accept the job? As one idea, the Rockies might be the perfect fit for a young, successful minor league manager who is blocked from advancement. What does the team have to lose? It literally can’t get much worse.
— Greg, Broomfield
Greg, let me answer your question with a question. Do you really think another manager could take the talent Black has to work with and produce a winning team? I don’t think so.
Handing the reins over to a young, inexperienced manager is not necessarily the answer. Having said that, if Black does not return next season (his contract ends after this season), I could see the Rockies promoting third base/infield coach Warren Schaeffer as their next manager. He has the players’ respect and is a dynamic, hard-working baseball guy.
Do you think MLB would ever consider the format of relegating teams like they do in the Premier League in soccer? In a system of promotion and relegation, the best-ranked team(s) in a lower division are promoted to a higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked team(s) in the higher division are relegated to the lower division for the next season. It might give teams/fans like the Rockies something more to cheer about, and the term “Hope springs eternal” might mean something.
— Tired of Hoping, Centennial
Dear “Tired,” I don’t see that ever happening. Major League Baseball has undergone major changes recently, but your suggestion is too radical. The expanded playoffs give decent teams a chance to get hot and win it all. The Diamondbacks are a perfect example. They won only 84 games last season and had to squeak into the playoffs but then advanced to the World Series.
For the Rockies, the answer could be playing in a new division in the future. When MLB expands to 32 teams in a few years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rockies in a new division and out of the shadow of the Dodgers, the perennial kings of the NL West.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6053525</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TDP-Z-1712216441_141396494.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="200191" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle celebrates after scoring the winning run on a wild pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the 11th inning at Coors Field on October 01, 2023.
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-15T10:10:34+00:00</dcterms:created>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Red-hot Rockies beat Padres for sixth win in a row behind Cal Quantrill</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/14/rockies-beat-padres-sixth-win-cal-quantrill/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 04:28:37 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brendan Rodgers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Cal Quantrill]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elehuris Montero]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ezequiel Tovar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jurickson Profar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Petco Park]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan McMahon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tyler Kinley]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Victor Vodnik]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6054139</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Inside the clubhouse, Rockies players had quietly said they were much better than their terrible record indicated. They didn't say it too loudly because it's best to whisper when you own an 8-28 record.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO — Inside the clubhouse, Rockies players had quietly said they were much better than their terrible record indicated. They didn’t say it too loudly because it’s best to whisper when you own an 8-28 record.
But who could blame the Rockies for turning up the volume after beating the Padres 6-3 Tuesday night in front of 40,134 at Petco Park? After all, the Rockies have won six consecutive games to improve to 14-28, their longest winning streak since winning eight in a row from May 26 to June 2, 2019.
“We feel good right now, and it’s a testament to all the guys in this clubhouse,” said third baseman Ryan McMahon, who got the Rockies on the board with a leadoff homer off Padres ace Dylan Cease in the fourth. “We could easily have quit, but nobody has.”
Starter Cal Quantrill pitched another excellent game. He limited the Padres to one run on six hits over six innings. He walked three and fanned five. He’s won three straight games, allowing two runs through 19 2/3 innings — good for a .092 ERA — with 19 strikeouts.
“I like the way we are playing baseball right now,” Quantrill said. “I feel like I kind of set the tone to get this started, but at this point, I feel like I’m feeding off them. We are playing great ‘D’ and taking competitive at-bats the whole game. I feel like we are putting pressure on the opposing pitcher.
“It’s been a really nice week for us. Trust me, we’ve worked really hard for this and we aren’t taking it for granted. We are going to try and keep it rolling.”
Quantrill throws his split-finger changeup about 40% of the time, and it’s become an effective weapon.
“It’s brand new, and I only started throwing it at the end of last year and I’m still kind of learning what I can and cannot do with it,” he said. “There are times when I probably pressed it right to the edge and probably paid the price a little bit. But that being said, I think it’s a fun, new pitch, and I think it does balance hitters out a little bit for me and allows me to do a little more work on some other pitches that I wasn’t able to do before.”
Manager Bud Black loves Quantrill’s arsenal, but there’s something he loves even more.
“I’m seeing a competitor,” Black said. “I’m seeing a guy that comes to win the game for his team. That’s his mantra.”
While Quantrill has shinned brightest, Colorado’s entire rotation has been the key to the streak. Over the last six games, Rockies starters have posted a 2.29 ERA.
And the Rockies are finally hitting in the clutch. They banged out 10 hits and were 4 of 6 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night. The Padres, by contrast, were 3 for 12 with runners in scoring position and are 3 for 30 in their last four games.
McMahon’s leadoff homer was his team-leading sixth and he also singled in the first. He’s hitting .308 with a .870 OPS.
“(Cease) threw me a lot of curveballs early and in that at-bat I kind of stayed on the fastball and he threw me a cutter and I just kind of stayed on the pitch and put my barrel on it,” McMahon said.
Colorado drove Cease from the game with a four-run sixth inning that began with a leadoff double by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and included two-out RBI singles by Brendan Rodgers, Jake Cave, Elehuris Montero and Jordan Beck.
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Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory 
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Tovar led off the seventh inning with his fifth homer, a shot to deep left off reliever Stephen Kolek’s first-pitch sweeper, to give Colorado a 6-0 lead.
“He’s growing up before our eyes into a real player,” Black said of Tovar. “We saw it last year. His self-assurance, his confidence, his everyday diligence. There are a lot of adjectives to put on ‘Zeke,’ but he comes to play every day.”
But things got dicey for the Rockies in the bottom of the frame when San Diego cut the lead to 6-3. Quantrill got the hook when he walked leadoff hitter Jurickson Profar, and then the Padres battered reliever Victor Vodnik for three singles and also scored on Vodnick’s wild pitch.
Tyler Kinley pitched a perfect ninth to pocket his first save of the season.
The Rockies will be hunting for their second straight series sweep when they play San Diego on Wednesday afternoon.
Diaz injured. Starting Catcher Elias Diaz left the game in the third inning with soreness in the back of his left hand. Black said that Diaz won’t play Wednesday. Diaz was replaced by Jacob Stallings, and Black said that he could use utility player Hunter Goodman behind the plate if he needed to.
“(Diaz) has had this before, so he might get an injection,” Black said. “We’ll see in a day or two.”
KB update. First baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, who’s been on the injured list for a month with a lower back strain, began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque Tuesday night and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. He started at first base and played five innings against Sugar Land. The plan is for Bryan to join the Rockies in San Francisco on Friday.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6054139</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-L-SPBBNROCKIES-0515-01.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="150077" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill works against a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-14T22:28:37+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-14T23:34:40+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Rockies are playing with fire with high walk rate</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/14/rockies-journal-colorado-high-walk-rate/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2024 02:02:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[Bud Black]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Walks haunt, and late-game walks haunt absolutely.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO — Walks haunt, and late-game walks haunt absolutely.
Usually.
The Rockies’ 5-4 win over the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park was the exception. They pulled off the victory despite issuing 11 walks, only the third win in franchise history when they walked 11 or more. It also happened on May 12, 1995, at Florida and on June 5, 1999, vs. Milwaukee.
Monday night, the late-game relief trio of Jake Bird (two walks), Justin Lawrence (three) and Jalen Beeks (three) combined for eight walks over the final 3 1/3 innings. The Rockies played with fire but somehow survived.
There are few things manager Bud Black hates more than walks, and he’s already seen a lot this season. Despite daily preaching by pitching coach Darryl Scott, bullpen coach Reid Cornelius and Black, the free passes keep piling up. Entering Tuesday night’s game against the Padres, Colorado had walked 161 batters for an average of 4.03 walks per nine innings. Only the Mets (4.55), Marlins (4.30) and Astros (4.08) have been worse.
With that in mind, I asked Black, somewhat facetiously, if walks can be contagious. After all, hitting is said to be infectious in a dugout. Perhaps the tendency to walk hitters spreads through the bullpen?
“I don’t know whether it goes from one guy to the next,” Black said. “But if you start walking guys as an individual, it can lead to more. I hate to say it, but it can. Last night that might have been the case. So the answer can be yes — to each individual.”
I took my theory to Lawrence. Like Black, he dismissed my nutty idea of walks spreading from pitcher to pitcher, but he said mind games definitely ramp up when a pitcher starts throwing more balls than strikes.
“Once it gets to a certain point, where you walk two guys in an inning, or you walk a guy and you throw three balls to the next guy, you start to press a little bit,” said Lawrence, whose 6.5 walks per nine are the second-highest on the team behind right-hander Tyler Kinley (6.6).
“I think what happens is that you start thinking, ‘Oh, man, I have to throw a strike right here,’ instead of just going out there and making your pitch, being an athlete and trusting your process,” Lawrence said. “What you have to do, or think, is ‘Hey, if I walk this guy, I know I can get back in the zone and get out of the jam.’ ”
When asked if the pressure of the situation matters — late game, close game, momentum shifts — Lawrence said it doesn’t, at least not for him.
“I’ve been around long enough and pitched enough innings to know that it’s me vs. the hitter, not me vs. the score or the inning,” he said. “It’s my best stuff against his best swing, regardless of the game situation. It’s a matter of executing.”
Still, Lawrence acknowledged that walks can snowball on a pitcher as they did Monday night.
“It can happen, but I think that’s what separates (relievers) in this game is handling it,” he said. “You have to believe that, no matter what, you can get the next batter. Maybe one pitch gets you a double play and gets you out of trouble.”
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Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory 
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Lawrence is well aware of Black’s contempt for bases on balls.
“Yeah, I know he does, but it’s a long season and you’re going to have rough stretches like last night,” Lawrence said. “But we’re going to clean it up.”
They’d better. Because too many games like Monday’s game will make the Rockies’ long season feel like an eternity.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6054031</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TDP-L-ROCKIES-MARLINS-11.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="195747" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies pitcher Justin Lawrence (61) grimaces after allowing four runs during the ninth of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-14T20:02:34+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-14T20:23:24+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/13/rockies-padres-11-walks-fifth-straight-victory/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2024 04:39:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[The Rockies walked the high-wire Monday night at Petco Park.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO — The Rockies walked the high-wire Monday night at Petco Park.
Their pitchers teetered and tottered. They walked 11 Padres batters. Count ’em, 11.
But somehow, someway, the Rockies held on to win 5-4, notching their fifth consecutive victory.
The Padres loaded the bases in the ninth against Jalen Beeks on three walks, but Beeks got Manny Machado to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
“That was exhilarating, for sure,” a frazzled but happy Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The term ‘hang on tight’ came into play. We had to hang on tight, for sure. But it felt good. The guys in the dugout and the guys on the field erupted. But you don’t draw them up like that.”
No, you don’t.
Monday marked just the third time in franchise history that Colorado walked 11 or more and managed to win the game. In a May 12, 1995 game at Florida, Rockies pitchers walked 12 but beat the Marlins. On June 5, 1999, they walked 12 Brewers at Coors Field but managed a victory.
Black took a risk in the ninth. He visited the mound and instructed the infield to play back, looking for the double play. The strategy paid off.
“We thought there was a double-play chance with Manny, and I thought that was our best chance to win the game,” Black explained. “Even though Beeks is a high-fastball pitcher, he has a chance to get a grounder by choking off a swing with a good fastball, and that’s what he did.”
Perhaps lost in the moras of walks was an outstanding play by veteran right fielder Jake Cave. He raced in on Luis Arraez’s dying line drive and made a diving catch for the first out of the ninth.
“I was just trying to cover as much ground as possible,” Cave said. “Then I saw that I was ‘closing in, closing in,’ so then, I thought, ‘Now I’ve got try for it.’ When I’m healthy, and I’m out on the field, I’m going to go as hard as I can.”
In the final 3 1/3 innings, the Rockies relievers gave up eight walks: three by Beeks, three by Justin Lawrence and two by Jake Bird.
“Bird, Lawrence and Beeks will tell you that’s not good,” Black said.
San Diego crept to within one run, at 5-4, in the seventh on Jackson Merrill’s leadoff homer off Bird. When Bird issued back-to-back walks to Luis Campusano and Ha-Seong Kim, Colorado’s lead appeared to be disintegrating until Justin Lawrence relieved Bird and got Arraez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Then Lawrence got the dangerous Fernando Tatis to ground out to third baseman Ryan McMahon.
But the Rockies’ walk-fest continued in the eighth inning when Lawrence walked three to jam the bases but pulled a Houdini escape act when Campusano popped out to center.
Elehuris Montero powered Colorado to an early lead. The first baseman drove in Brenton Doyle with a single up the middle in the second. Doyle reached on a walk, stole second and advanced to third on Cave’s groundout to first.
Montero’s two-run double to left-center off starter Randy Vasquez sparked the Rockies’ four-run fourth. Back-to-back bloop singles by Charlie Blackmon and Ezequiel Tovar drove in the other two runs to put Colorado ahead, 5-1.
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Rockies are playing with fire with high walk rate 
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Rockies Journal: Cal Quantrill making no excuses, is thriving at Coors Field 
</a>
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Rockies starter Dakota Hudson pitched his best game in a Rockies uniform, got the win and snapped a streak of eight consecutive losing decisions dating back to Sept. 11 of last season when he pitched for St. Louis.
“I felt like we had a good plan going in,” Hudson said. ‘It felt good to get than win.”
The right-hander mowed down the Padres with his bowling ball sinker for 5 2/3 innings until he threw a few gutterballs in the sixth. He issued a two-out walk to Machado and then served up a two-run homer to Jurickson Profar, who crushed his seventh bomb of the season to cut Colorado’s lead to 5-3. The switch-hitting Profar, who played with Colorado last season, hit Hudson’s first-pitch changeup deep into the right-field seats. Profar has already driven in 29 runs.
Hudson, who also mixed in an effective curveball, induced 10 outs via groundballs, struck out three, walked three and gave up just three hits. However, two of the three hits were homers, including Xander Bogaerts’ two-out solo shot in the second.
“I thought the fastball played tonight, and he had a good breaking ball,” Black said. “He threw more curveballs than he had in previous starts, so there was a little more separation of velocity. I thought that was key.”
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6053176</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24135166175512.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="230613" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jalen Beeks, right, celebrates with catcher Elias Diaz after the Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres 5-4 in a baseball game, Monday, May 13, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-13T22:39:17+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-13T23:40:01+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Rockies Journal: Cal Quantrill making no excuses, is thriving at Coors Field</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/13/rockies-cal-quantrill-thriving-coors-field/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2024 01:51:01 +0000</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[For many major league pitchers, Colorado is Siberia, and Coors Field might as well be a gulag. Not for Cal Quantrill. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[SAN DIEGO — For many major league pitchers, Colorado is Siberia, and Coors Field might as well be a gulag.
That’s why Cal Quantrill’s early success with the Rockies has been so compelling.
The right-hander didn’t choose to be exiled to the majors’ most hitter-friendly ballpark. The Rockies acquired him in a trade with Cleveland last November in exchange for minor-league catcher Kody Huff.
So far, it’s looked like a smart move by general manager Bill Schmidt. Quantrill hasn’t pouted or made excuses when his pitches don’t behave as he expects them to at 5,280 feet.
Last Thursday night, in Colorado’s 9-1 rout of the Giants in LoDo, Quantrill pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks. His only major mistake was serving up a leadoff homer to Michael Conforto in the fourth.
What he said after the game should be part of the Rockies’ pitching bible.
“It’s just being competitive — not being OK with how things have gone this year for us,” Quantrill said after Colorado snapped its four-game losing streak. “I want to win when I pitch. When it’s here (in Denver), I choose to look at it as an advantage because I know (the opposing starter) doesn’t want to pitch here.”
Quantrill is on a roll as he enters his scheduled start Tuesday night against the Padres at Petco Park. He’s 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA over his last six games, with five quality starts. He’s the first Rockies pitcher with a quality start in each of his first three starts at Coors Field since Chris Rusin in 2015. Overall, he’s 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA for a team that entered Monday with a 12-28 record.
“The No. 1 priority when you pitch in Denver is having the mentality that it doesn’t matter where you pitch,” manager Bud Black said Monday. “Your job is to get outs. Your job is to keep your team in the game. Your job is to record, hopefully, 18 outs or more every time you take the ball.
“Cal has taken on the mindset to do exactly that. He’s a pitcher’s pitcher. He’s taken the challenge of pitching in Denver — and pitching in and out of altitude — as something to embrace. That’s stood out for me.”
In three starts at Coors Field this season, Quantrill is 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA. His one clunker, home or road, came on April 27 in Mexico City when the Astros ripped him for six runs on six hits (including two homers) in Colorado’s 14-4 loss.
Left-hander Austin Gomber, who came to Colorado as part of the 2021 Nolan Arenado trade with St. Louis, has shared some of his Coors Field wisdom with Quantrill.
“The biggest thing is, guys can’t try reinventing themselves,” Gomber said. “You can’t try to pitch one way at Coors and another way on the road. That doesn’t work.”
Gomber made his Coors Field debut in 2018 as a member of the Rockies. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out six and walked just one.
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<div class="entry-section"><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/sports/mlb/colorado-rockies/">Colorado Rockies | </a></div> <a class="article-title" href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/13/rockies-padres-11-walks-fifth-straight-victory/" title="Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory">

Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory 
</a>
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Gomber remembers the advice he got from Adam Wainwright, who pitched for the Cardinals for 18 years and finished his stellar career with 200 victories and a 3.53 ERA. In seven career games (six starts) at Coors, Wainwright went 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and only eight walks.
“Adam always told me just come in and pitch,” Gomber recalled. “He said, ‘If you throw a curveball, throw a curveball.’ There might be sight adjustments, and you might have to start your pitch in a different place. But those are micro changes you can make within a game.”
Quantrill, 29, is making $6.5 million this season. He’s arbitration-eligible again for the 2025 season before he becomes a free agent in 2026. Quantrill might be itching to escape LoDo by then, but, for now, he’s the Rockies’ model pitcher.
“I think (at Coors), sometimes it’s about just staying in the game longer than the other guy,” Quantrill said. “And it’s knowing (your team) can score seven runs in an inning. You cannot quit on your team there.”
<h4>Tuesday’s pitching matchup</h4>
Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (2-3, 3.94 ERA) at Padres RHP Dylan Cease (5-2, 2.19)
7:40 p.m. Tuesday, Petco Park
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Quantrill is coming off a strong start at Coors Field last Thursday when he finished with five strikeouts and just one run allowed in six innings in Colorado’s win over the Giants. It was his team-leading fifth quality start of the season. Quantrill, who began his career with the Padres, is 6-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 18 games (12 starts) at Petco Park. As a member of the Guardians, he faced the Padres twice, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.
Cease, who’s become the Padres’ ace, dominated the Cubs in his last start. In a 3-0 victory, the right-hander threw seven scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out 12. He threw 113 pitches, and his fastball reached 99 mph. He has a minuscule 0.75 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings through eight starts this season. He’s given up more than two earned runs in just one start, that coming on April 27 when he was charged with five runs over six innings against the Phillies. In three career starts vs. Colorado, Cease is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA.
<h4>Pitching probables</h4>
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-2, 3.43) at Padres RHP Michael King (3-3, 3.67), 2:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off day
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6050642</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24130696776098.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="188879" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill works against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-13T19:51:01+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-13T20:46:21+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Rockies finish off sweep of Rangers with stellar defense, notch fourth straight win</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/12/rockies-rangers-sweep-stellar-defense/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2024 22:15:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brendan Rodgers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brenton Doyle]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Coors Field]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ezequiel Tovar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan McMahon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ty Blach]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6051907</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain. Dallas' Doomsday Defense. Chicago's Monsters of the Midway. L.A. Fearsome Foursome.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain. Dallas’ Doomsday Defense. Chicago’s Monsters of the Midway. L.A.’s Fearsome Foursome.
Make way for Colorado’s Purple Rally Killers.
On a Sunday afternoon when elite defense was paramount, the Rockies delivered a 3-1 victory to complete a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion Rangers at Coors Field. Colorado limited the Rangers to six runs over the series.
“It was fantastic defense,” said Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle, who dislodged a section of padding in the center-field wall with his grab-and-smash web gem in the fifth inning.
“I was speechless out there on those infield plays today by ‘B-Rod’ and ‘Tovie,’ ” Doyle said, referring to plays by second baseman Brendan Rodgers and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. “We are going to win a lot of games if we keep playing defense like that.”
After the Rockies won their fourth in a row for their first win streak of the season, manager Bud Black was jazzed.
“When plays like that are made, it so energizing and uplifting and awesome,” he said. “We played excellent, excellent defense this series, and today was arguably one of the best defensive games I’ve seen.”
The Rockies had only seven hits, the biggest coming from Tovar, who lifted a sky-high, two-run homer over the left-field wall off Jose Urena in the first inning. But Tovar’s fourth homer of the season turned out to be enough. The homer came off Tovar’s bat with a 44-degree launch angle.
“Honestly, with those kinds of balls, with the height that it had, I thought it was going to curve foul,” Tovar said.
Colorado added an insurance run in the eighth, combining a leadoff double by Ryan McMahon with three consecutive one-out walks off Jonathan Hernández. Doyle’s patient at-bat drew the third walk, earning him an RBI.
Texas hinted at big innings multiple times, but Colorado’s defense was pure platinum. To wit:
• In the second inning, second baseman Rodgers made a heads-up play on Andrew Knizner’s grounder. Rather than throw out Knizner at first base, Rodger trapped lead runner Robbie Grossman in a rundown between second and third for the second out of the inning.
• In the third, McMahon, playing Gold Glove defense at third base, made an over-the-head catch in foul territory far down the left-field line to retire Corey Seager.
• In the fourth, Adolis Garcia’s hot shot back to the mound caromed off the toe of left-hander Ty Blach but was deftly fielded by Tovar at short for the first out of the inning.
• In the fifth, the Rangers rapped out three hits but came up empty. Colorado turned a sweet 6-4-3 double play, with Tovar flipping the ball to Rodgers, who barehanded the ball at second and threw a one-hopper to first to nab Knizner. With two outs, the Rangers got back-to-back singles from Leody Taveras and Marcus Semien, but Doyle chased down Seager’s long blast to make a brilliant catch before denting the wall.
• In the seventh, pinch-hitter Josh Smith smashed a ball to McMahon, who spun to his knees to field it and throw out Smith.
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Rockies walk 11 Padres but escape with fifth straight victory 
</a>
</li></ul></aside>
• In the eighth, the Rockies delivered a double shot of brilliance. Tovar went deep into the hole to throw out Semien by a step before Rodgers one-upped Tovar with a diving stop-and-throw on a Seager grounder that looked like a sure single to right field.
Blach, who got a rare start, gave up one run on seven hits over his five innings. But he didn’t walk any batters and was the prime beneficiary of Colorado’s defense.
“All I was going to talk about was our defense,” Blach said. “The plays we made behind me were outstanding. … When you have that going behind you, it just makes it that much easier to pound the zone.
“When you know that guys are going to make plays behind you, you might give up some singles, but that’s OK.”
The Rangers scored their lone run in the first on a two-out single by Garcia to score Semien, who led off the game with a single to center.
“Ty’s a veteran pitcher, and he knows who he is and what he can do with his arsenal,” Black said. “The ball is going to be put in play. He works fast. There are balls on the ground, chances for double plays by our infielders, and they are on their toes. Ty was outstanding today.”
The Rockies, who improved to 9-12 at home, will now play on the road against San Diego on Monday night. The Rockies are 3-16 on the road.
B-Rod’s theft. Rodgers recorded his first career stolen base in his first career attempt in the fourth inning. Rodger’s 352 games before his first stolen base or attempt is the most by any middle infielder in the expansion era (since 1961) and the most by a non-pitcher in franchise history. Rodgers, who hit 2 for 3, extended his hitting streak to a season-high seven games. He’s hit .407 (11 for 27) during the streak.
KB’s rehab. Kris Bryant, who’s been on the injured list since April 14 with a back injury, is scheduled to begin an injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque and play in Tuesday’s game with the Isotopes. Black said the plan is for Bryant to join the Rockies in San Francisco starting Friday.
<hr />
<h4>Monday’s pitching matchup</h4>
Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-6, 6.35 ERA) at Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (0-1, 4.50)
7:40 p.m. Monday, Petco Park
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Hudson, the sixth pitcher in Rockies history to lose his first six decisions of a season, will try to avoid being the first to lose his first seven. He hasn’t pitched well in his first season with Colorado, but he’s also lacked run support. Over his first eight starts, he’s received a total eight runs of support. He’s coming off a loss to the Giants at Coors Field in which he allowed four runs on five hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. He got a no-decision in Colorado’s 10-9 win over San Diego on April 25, allowing a season-high six runs in 3 1/3 innings. Hudson is 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA in four career starts vs. the Padres and 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in two career starts at Petco Park.
Vasquez, who’s bounced between the Padres and Triple-A El Paso this season, is coming off a solid start against the Cubs. He allowed one run while striking out six over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision. On April 26, the Rockies hammered Vazquez at Coors Field, scoring four runs on six hits over 2 2/3 inning.
<h4>Pitching probables</h4>
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (2-3, 3.94) at Padres RHP Dylan Cease (5-2, 2.19), 7:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-2, 3.43) at Padres RHP Michael King (3-3, 3.67), 2:10 p.m.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6051907</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24133718870564.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="235592" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies third base coach Warren Schaeffer, left, congratulates Ezequiel Tovar, right, who circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run off Texas Rangers starting pitcher José Ureña in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 12, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-12T16:15:25+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-12T17:58:24+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>As Kris Bryant attempts to resurrect Rockies career, former MVP can’t hide his frustration: “It’s through the roof”</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/12/kris-bryant-rockies-career-frustration/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2024 11:45:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bill Schmidt]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bud Black]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Coors Field]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[keywee]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kris Bryant]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[National League]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nolan Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan McMahon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[World Series]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6049731</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The ghost of Kris Bryant haunts the Rockies.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The ghost of Kris Bryant haunts the Rockies.
There have been only fleeting visions of the star player the franchise thought it signed back in 2022.
Reoccurring injuries bedevil the four-time All-Star. Sub-par performance has become the norm. There are those within the organization who call him an enigma.
Rockies fans, generally a benevolent bunch, even booed Bryant during the home opener at Coors Field.
Now, with the Rockies floundering at the bottom of the NL West, he’s attempting to return from an early season injury that landed him on the injured list for the sixth time in his two-plus seasons in Colorado. The lofty expectations owner Dick Monfort envisioned when he engineered a seven-year, $182 million deal to bring Bryant to LoDo have vanished.
And the 32-year-old Bryant, who insists he can resurrect his career, cannot hide his frustration.
“It’s hard to put into words. It’s through the roof,” Bryant said. “Some days, I just sit in bed and stare at the ceiling with the frustration. It’s hard.”
<h4>Shifting expectations</h4>
As the injuries have mounted and production waned, it’s become clear Bryant is no longer the centerpiece of Colorado’s rebuild.
Near the end of the 2022 season, when Bryant was limited to 42 games, general manager Bill Schmidt said he thought Bryant would be “an aircraft carrier” for the lineup. Recently, however, Schmidt’s tone has shifted, saying he never expected Bryant to be the team’s signature leader when the club signed him to the mega-deal.
“From Day 1, I told him, ‘You don’t have to be the guy, just be one of the guys,” Schmidt said. “We need him because of his veteran presence. He’s been through it.”
Yet, as the Rockies’ slide continues, Bryant has become a lightning rod for fans’ discontent. After losing a franchise-record 103 games last season, the Rockies are on pace to be even worse this season.
Teammates, however, stand up for the veteran.
“It’s tough for Kris, and it sucks to hear fans here boo him,” said left fielder Nolan Jones, who looks to Bryant as a mentor. “We see all of the hard work he puts in and everything he does for this team.
“By no means is (the booing) right. Obviously, he wants to be on the field more than anyone. I think that’s something where we need to lift him up as a team and as a city. Putting him down does nothing good for us.”
Until Bryant produces, however, skeptics will remain.
Bryant has begun working his way back from <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/08/kris-bryant-injury-rockies-step-toward-return/">his latest back injury</a>. On Friday, he took batting practice and infield practice. Those are big steps toward his return to the lineup, but there is no definitive timetable.
As Bryant heals up, he wants fans to know three crucial things. First, he has the necessary spirit to revitalize his career. Second, his talent hasn’t vanished. Third, he’s learning to filter negative noise.
And there’s been a lot of noise, not just from the fans in LoDo. Baseball pundits say the Rockies made a huge mistake by signing him to the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history. The criticism is backed up by the fact that the outfielder-turned-first baseman has played in only 37% of the Rockies’ games since then, and his numbers have dropped dramatically.
To which the 32-year-old Bryant responds: “Everybody’s got opinions. I have my own opinions. Fans have opinions, and they’re totally valid. But if I put energy into that, then I’m just giving it more power than it needs. I just try to focus on what I’m doing and getting better.
“And if I get better and things feel good, then good. If things don’t go as well as I want them to, then it is what it is. I’m doing everything I can. Having a good attitude is a good start.”
<figure id="attachment_6050987" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="598px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Colorado Rockies' Kris Bryant warms up before a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" width="3936" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="6050987" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-AP24131836940370.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Colorado Rockies’ Kris Bryant warms up before a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>“All-in”</h4>
Bryant’s numbers tell hard truths.
Before he went on the 10-day injured list on April 14 with an aching back, he was hitting just .149 with one home run in 13 games. Last season, when he played in 80 games, his .233/.313/.367 slash line was the worst of his career.
Still, Monfort continues to back his decision to sign Bryant.
“I believe Kris is all-in,” <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/03/28/dick-monfort-rockies-owner-critics-renck/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monfort told The Post in late March</a>. “He has always been very positive. If you take the first year, what was going on coming out of COVID, signing late, a shorter spring training, he really had to be the guy, and he hustled to do it. It led to other things. Last year it was sort of weird injuries. Kris has played a lot of games. The talent is there.”
Bryant insists his skills will help the Rockies eventually climb out of the National League basement and become competitive.
“I know (my talent) is still in there,” said Bryant, who has four years and $108 million left on his contract after this season. “There are flashes of it, and I can’t wait to get out there and play again.”
When that happens, it remains to be seen, but Bryant said his back is feeling much better.
“I’m happy with where I’m at right now,” Bryant said. “It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time.”
Despite that optimism, Bryant acknowledged his aching back — <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/08/kris-bryant-injury-rockies-step-toward-return/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he has disc problems and what he called “severe arthritis”</a> — will be a challenge for the rest of his career.
“I know I have a bad back, and that’s no secret, and there are some things in there you aren’t going to heal,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s just part of getting older, and it sucks.”
As much as Bryant tried to stay upbeat through his latest stint on the IL, his teammates knew he was bummed out.
“KB only quietly expresses his frustration,” said third baseman Ryan McMahon, who’s become close to Bryant. “Kris doesn’t wear it on his face, but I can feel it.”
<figure id="attachment_6016277" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="598px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar (14), right, is congratulated by teammate Kris Bryant (23) during the third-inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Friday, April 12, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="6016277" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104004424527.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Colorado Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar (14), right, is congratulated by teammate Kris Bryant (23) during the third-inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Friday, April 12, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>Embracing teammates</h4>
Through all of his pain and dissatisfaction, Bryant has tried to remain a good teammate.
Last year, for example, he bought a Rolex watch for Jones, who reached his rookie-season goals of 20 home runs and 20 steals.
“KB plays a huge part in this clubhouse,” said Jones, who’s also on the injured list with a low back injury. “He’s someone you can talk to through any situation. He’s been at the very top and at the very bottom as well. For a young player like me, having somebody like him around, being able to talk to him and pick his brain about baseball situations has been huge.”
McMahon added, “He’s been awesome. He’s been open for a lot of guys to talk to, and I know he’s talked to a lot of the younger guys one-on-one. And for a guy like him, who’s working so much and putting in so much time to try and get back, that says a lot.”
For Bryant, being a good teammate is everything.
“When it’s all said and done, and I’m done playing baseball, I, personally, am not going to remember what my teammates’ stats were,” Bryant said. “I’m just going to remember the camaraderie and how they made me feel. And that’s what I’m trying to embrace.
“I want to be the first guy to give a high-five when a guy hits a home run or high-five the pitchers when they are grinding. I want to be there in good times and tough times. That’s very easy to do, and it doesn’t take too much effort to be a good teammate. I want guys to remember me in that light, not be remembered for hitting home runs or getting an MVP award.”
But there’s no escaping the on-field reality. In six-plus seasons with Chicago (833 games), his cumulative WAR (Wins Above Replacement, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bryankr01.shtml">via Baseball Reference</a>) was 27.7. In two-plus seasons with the Rockies (135 games), it’s -0.9.
During his 2016 MVP season, Bryant hit a career-high 39 home runs, with a home run rate of 5.6% and an average exit velocity of 89.3 mph, <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/kris-bryant-592178?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb">according to Baseball Savant.</a> Last season, Bryant hit 10 homers, with a home run rate of 3.0% and an average exit velocity of 85.7 mph. The average major league exit velocity is 88.5 mph.
Still, if Bryant ever gets healthy, manager Bud Black believes he can be a productive cog in Colorado’s offense.
“Kris has a track record of getting on base and driving in runs,” Black said. “He still has elite skills as a hitter. We need Kris for our offense to get better. A healthy KB gives our lineup some veteran stability.”
<h4>“That’s how life goes”</h4>
Bryant says he’s learned how to block most of the criticism that comes his way. He doesn’t pay attention to social media and tries to ignore what’s written about him.
That’s a big change from when the Cubs made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft out of the University of San Diego.
Back then, he used to track insults and slights.
” ‘This guy’s a 5 o’clock hitter … he can’t do this or that’,” Bryant said, recalling some of the barbs. “I would search the internet for stupid things that the media would write. I’d write them down on index cards. I found out that that is not the most healthy way to live your life. I have kind of toned that down.”
And critics be damned, Bryant believes he can still play baseball at a high level.
“Of course, I can,” he said. “You don’t just throw away, in my case, 25 years of playing the game and being really good at it. So, of course, you think you can.”
Asked how he’ll react if that doesn’t happen, Bryant turned philosophical.
“If you can’t, then they move on to the next person, and you’re forgotten fairly quickly, and you die, and you become dirt in the ground, and nobody remembers you,” Bryant said, motioning to the infield at Coors Field. “And that’s how life goes.
“But, in the moment, I would love to be MVP and someone who can help this team win as many games as possible. That makes for a better story.”
<hr />
<h3>Kris Bryant’s Injury List</h3>
Rockies first baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant escaped injuries early in his career, but they have marred his recent seasons:
2018#: Limited to 102 games. On IL twice from left shoulder inflammation, June 23-July 11 and July 24-Sept. 1. Marked the first time in his career he landed on the IL.
2019#: Played in 147 games. Suffered a right ankle sprain on Sept. 22 and missed the remainder of the season.
2020#: On the IL Aug. 19-Sept. 1 with a left ring finger sprain suffered on Aug. 12 while attempting a diving catch in left field. Missed four games from Sept. 22-25 with right lower oblique tightness.
2022: Limited to 42 games. On the IL with a lower back strain April 29-May 21 and May 23-June 27. On the IL on Aug. 1 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and missed the remainder of the season.
2023: Limited to 80 games. On the IL June 1-30 with a bruised left heel. On the IL July 22-Sept. 11 with a fractured left index finger following a hit-by-pitch on July 22.
2024: Went on the injured list with a strained lower back strain on April 14. Missed 24 of the first 37 games.
Source: Rockies media guide | # Played for the Chicago Cubs
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6049731</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TDP-Z-Kris-Bryant-GettyImages-2147677731-01.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="124326" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Kris Bryant (23) of the Colorado Rockies plays the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth inning at Coors Field on April 08, 2024 in Denver. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) ]]></media:description></media:content>
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<title>Rockies win first series of 2024, beating reigning champ Rangers with six-run two-out rally in the seventh</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/11/rockies-win-first-series-2024-rangers/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kyle Newman]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2024 03:30:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bud Black]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Charlie Blackmon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Cole Winn]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elias Diaz]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ezequiel Tovar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hunter Goodman]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kris Bryant]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kyle Freeland]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nolan Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rockies injuries]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan Feltner]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan McMahon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tyler Kinley]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6051650</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Colorado won its first series on Saturday on its 13th try, snapping a franchise-worst drought to begin the season in that regard. The Rockies became the last MLB to win a series this year, too, a day after winning consecutive games for the first time in 2024.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The reigning World Series champions got nothin’ on these Rockies.
Colorado won its first series on Saturday on its 13th try, snapping a franchise-worst drought to begin the season in that regard. In the 8-3 victory over Texas, the Rockies became the last MLB team to win a series this year, too, a day after winning consecutive games for the first time in 2024.
They did it behind a solid outing from Ryan Feltner, who allowed two runs over five-plus innings, plus a seventh-inning rally in which the Rockies batted around while scoring six runs with two outs to cement a season-high three-game winning streak.
“We’ve felt close to (breaking out),” catcher Jacob Stallings said. “It’s not like we’ve had a bunch of blowout losses. Early in the season we had a few, but we feel like we’re playing pretty well. We’re just not getting that big hit, or making that key pitch or that play. To put together three good games here in a row, against good teams, guys are feeling good.”
Hunter Goodman got the Rockies going in the third, leading off with a homer to left-center off Andrew Heaney for his second mammoth dinger of the year that traveled more than 440 feet.
In the fifth, the Rangers took their first lead by plating a couple runs off Feltner. After a couple singles, Marcus Semien’s sacrifice fly tied the game. Two batters later, Nathaniel Lowe made it 2-1 with an RBI single before Feltner fanned Adolis García to get out of the jam.
“That was a big strikeout,” Feltner said. “I didn’t want to let that inning snowball and I wanted to keep our team in the game. That was a big moment in the game and I wanted to go down with my best stuff.”
There were fireworks in the bottom of the fifth, a frame that ended with Ezequiel Tovar getting thrown out at second. Tovar had the bag stolen, but over-slid it, and briefly came off the base. It looked like the tag on him might have been phantom, and manager Bud Black argued with home plate umpire Chad Fairchild, getting in the blue’s face.
That resulted in Black’s first ejection this season, his 11th with Colorado and the 36th of his career. Bench coach Mike Redmond, who said Black was incensed because Fairchild wouldn’t let the Rockies challenge the call, took over managerial duties the rest of the evening.
“(The second-base umpire) called (Tovar) safe initially, and then called him out on the slide,” Redmond said. “We were trying to look at it (on replay), and they said we ran out of time. I told Buddy with two seconds to go to challenge, and he did immediately, so I’m not sure how two seconds ran off that quickly.”
Colorado proceeded to tie the game the next inning, when José Leclerc balked home Ryan McMahon. But the Rockies stranded the go-ahead run, Elias Diaz, at third base when Leclerc struck out Sean Bouchard, Stallings and Goodman.
The Rangers then grabbed the momentum and the lead right back in the seventh, when Leody Taveras launched Jake Bird’s hanging curveball 389 feet into the right-field seats to make it 3-2.
But as the rain started to come down in the seventh, David Robertson unraveled.
The right-hander spelled Leclerc with two outs and Jordan Beck, who singled to start the inning, standing on second. McMahon and Diaz both singled to center as Robertson struggled to grip the ball, and the pitcher finished his evening by hitting Bouchard and walking Brenton Doyle.
“Robertson’s been one of the best relievers in the game so far this year, especially lately, but we made him throw strikes,” Stallings said. “We put up a lot of good at-bats against him.”
That loaded the bases for Stallings, who singled off Longmont native Cole Winn to bring two more runs home and push the score to 6-3. Charlie Blackmon, <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/10/rockies-beat-rangers-win-streak/">the hero of the series-opening win on Friday,</a> then roped a pinch-hit double down the right-field line. That scored two more runs and tied Blackmon with Larry Walker for the second-most extra-base hits in club history at 599.
Hall of Fame electee Todd Helton remains the franchise leader in the category with 998 extra-base hits.
“That’s incredible, and to put it in perspective, if you (almost) double everything that I’ve done, then we can have a conversation,” Blackmon quipped.
Tyler Kinley, who recorded the final out of the seventh, pitched a scoreless eighth before Nick Mears finished the game in the ninth to improve the Rockies to 11-28.
That is still the worst 39-game start in team history, but Blackmon believes the surge over the past few days — which began with a 9-1 rout <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/09/rockies-rout-giants-series-finale/">over the Giants on Thursday</a> — is something the club can build off of.
“That’s the plan,” Blackmon said. “It seems like we’ve done a little bit of everything lately — played defense really well, pitched well, bullpen great, and we finally got some hitting. We’ll try to keep it going.”
Rockies injury updates. Black said that outfielder/first baseman Kris Bryant, who has been on the injured list since April 17 with a back strain, will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. Black hopes Bryant will return to the Colorado lineup sometime on their upcoming road trip, likely on the latter half in San Francisco or Oakland, if it does happen. … Outfielder Nolan Jones, who has been on the injured list with a back strain since April 30, is also heading out to Albuquerque in the coming week to begin his rehab assignment. Jones has done some work in the cage but is just starting to ramp up baseball activities. His return to the lineup could be a couple days behind Bryant’s, Black said. … Southpaw Kyle Freeland, on the injured list since April 19 with a left elbow strain, continues to throw. Black said Freeland could be back on a mound throwing bullpens within the next couple weeks, with a rehab assignment to Triple-A to follow.
<hr />
<h4>Sunday’s pitching matchup</h4>
Rangers TBA at Rockies TBA
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Both teams have yet to announce Sunday’s starter. The hole in the Rockies’ rotation is from Peter Lambert moving to the bullpen, as Lambo was 0-2 with a 16.39 ERA in three starts this year, including getting shelled for seven runs in three innings earlier this week in a loss to San Francisco. Regis Jesuit product Ty Blach is the most likely candidate to start for Colorado on Sunday. The southpaw’s appeared in four games this year, with a 3.46 ERA. In his one start, he allowed four runs in five innings in a loss at home to the Padres on April 25.
Pitching probables
Monday: Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-6, 6.35) at Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (0-1, 4.50), 7:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (2-3, 3.94) at Padres RHP Dylan Cease (5-2, 2.19), 7:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-2, 3.43) at Padres RHP Michael King (3-3, 3.67), 2:10 p.m.
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6051650</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GettyImages-2151986116.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="201618" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 11: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with teammates in the dugout wearing a ski helmet and goggles after hitting a third inning solo home run against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field on May 11, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2024-05-11T21:30:17+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2024-05-11T21:56:52+00:00</dcterms:modified>
</item>
<item>
<title>Rockies beat Rangers, win two in a row for first time this season</title>
<link>https://www.denverpost.com/2024/05/10/rockies-beat-rangers-win-streak/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Patrick Saunders]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2024 03:16:08 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Colorado Rockies]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Austin Gomber]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brenton Doyle]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bud Black]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Charlie Blackmon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Coors Field]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elehuris Montero]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elias Diaz]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ezequiel Tovar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jon Gray]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Justin Lawrence]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[More Rockies News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ryan McMahon]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6051079</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rangers right-hander Jon Gray and Rockies lefty Austin Gomber engaged in a sensational pitching dual Friday night at Coors Field. But 37-year-old Charlie Blackmon stole the show.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Rangers right-hander Jon Gray and Rockies lefty Austin Gomber engaged in a sensational pitching dual Friday night at Coors Field. But 37-year-old Charlie Blackmon stole the show.
The veteran ripped a two-out, two-run double off of right-hander Yerry Rodríguez in the eighth inning to lift the Rockies to a 4-2 victory and give them their first winning streak of the season.
By winning two in a row — the Rockies beat the Giants on Thursday — the Rockies snapped a streak of 51 games without consecutive wins (37 games in 2024), the longest stretch in franchise history.
Leave it to Blackmon, a franchise icon, to be the difference-maker.
“I’m not a big, rah-rah, super-emotion guy, but I do like to come through in big spots and big team situations,” said Blackmon, who had tied the game in the seventh by sprinting from first to home on a shallow popup to center that turned into an error. “I like to succeed, so I was really happy about that.”
Blackmon’s double was his 598th career extra-base hit, leaving him one shy of tying Hall of Famer Larry Walker for the second-most in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Todd Helton. Blackmon is hitting 11 for 26 (.423) with runners in scoring position this season.
Brenton Doyle sparked the winning rally with a one-out single and a stolen base, and Jake Cave was intentionally walked before Elehuris Montero whiffed for the second out.
Up stepped Blackmon for his go-ahead double.
“I say it all of the time, whenever people talk to me about Charlie, ‘That’s the player I want my kids to watch play the game,” Doyle said. “Because he does it the right way. And he plays hard every single game.”
Gray, pitching at Coors Field for the first time since he left the Rockies for the Rangers after the 2021 season, pitched six innings, giving up one run on eight hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.36 and struck out at least seven for the fifth time in eight starts. Over his last eight games (seven starts), he’s posted a 1.50 ERA.
For Gray, returning to Coors Field was special.
“They’re all good emotions,” said Gray, who pitched for the Rockies from 2015-21. “There are definitely some memories. Everywhere I look, there’s a memory. And playing against some old teammates, too. That’s always strange.
“These fans are great here. They’re awesome. I don’t think I deserve half the love I get, so it’s really nice. It just makes this place a fun place to come to. I come here and I get a good feeling. So it’s nice.”
Manager Bud Black called Gomber’s outing “outstanding.”
“It was a pitchers’ dual,” Black said. “Both pitchers were great. And Jon has been throwing the ball well. The last few starts he’s had a live fastball and he’s always had a good slider.”
Gomber pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 3.43 for the best eight-start stretch to start a season in his career.
Though Gomber pitched a terrific game, he ran into trouble in the seventh.
Ezequiel Duran reached on a 50-foot infield single to third baseman Ryan McMahon and Leody Taveras reached on a two-out swinging bunt when Gomber was charged with a throwing error.
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Although Gomber had thrown only 82 pitches and needed only one out to escape, Black gave him the hook and brought in right-hander Justin Lawrence to face the right-handed hitting Marcus Semien. Black’s move backfired because Lawrence walked Semien to load the bases and then walked Seager to force in a run and give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
After the game, Black explained his decision.
“I liked the matchup of (Lawrence) vs. Semien,” Black said. “Semien vs. Gomber would have been the fourth time through. … I like Lawrence facing right-handers and I didn’t want ‘Gomby’ facing Semien a fourth time.”
Gomber said he understood Black’s move.
Colorado knotted the game in the bottom of the frame on an error by Taveras in center. The Rockies’ rally began when Blackmon drew a leadoff walk off reliever Jacob Latz. After recording two outs, Latz gave way to Grant Anderson, who coaxed Elias Diaz into a popup behind second base. Taveras rushed in to make the catch but dropped the ball, and Blackmon, running hard from first, slid home to tie the game.
The Rockies struck first. In the fifth, Ezequiel Tovar, coming off a three-hit game on Thursday, ripped a one-out double to left off Gray’s 1-1 slider. Gray fanned McMahon for the second out, but Diaz drove Gray’s 2-2, 93.4 mph fastball into right field to score Tovar.
Texas wasted no time tying the game. Corey Seager led off the sixth with a 403-foot line-drive homer to right center. He ambushed Gomber’s first-pitch curveball, scorching it at 108.2 mph. Seager’s homer ended Gomber’s 14-inning scoreless streak, dating back to the fifth inning of his April 28 game vs. Houston in Mexico City. The 14-inning streak was the longest by a Rockies pitcher since 2021.
“It’s nice to win back-to-back games for sure because it’s something we’ve been struggling to do,” Gomber said. “I don’t know if there is one specific thing that’s been working for me. Each game it’s kind of been something different.
“I thought I had a really good curveball tonight and threw some good changeups. I’m executing pitches. I’m just throwing it where (catcher Elias Diaz) calls for it. And I’m just throwing it where I want to throw it.”
Gomber also applauded the Rockies’ defense. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers made a diving stop at second to squelch a Rangers’ rally in the third and right fielder Sean Bouchard robbed Semien of a hit to end the fifth. In the sixth, Cave, playing left field, threw out Jonah Heim trying to stretch a single into a double.
<h4>Saturday’s pitching matchup</h4>
Rangers LHP Andrew Heaney (0-4, 4.50 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-3, 5.54)
6:10 p.m. Saturday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Feltner has come close to pitching a couple of gems this season, but two rough innings tripped him up. Last Sunday at Pittsburgh, he mowed down the Pirates for five innings before they scored four runs in the sixth. Feltner gave up five runs total on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts. In his previous start at Miami, he completed a career-high eight innings before stumbling in the ninth. Feltner, 2-7 with a 7.16 ERA in 15 career starts at Coors Field, has never faced the Rangers.
Heaney has posted a 1.38 ERA over his last two starts to slice his ERA from 6.26 to 4.50. The lefty has not issued a walk in his last three starts. He’s coming off a no-decision in the Rangers’ 4-2 win at Oakland on Monday. Heaney is 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA in six games (five starts) vs. the Rockies. He is 2-1 with a 3.10 ERA in three starts at Coors Field. He last pitched at Colorado on Sept. 13, 2020, notching a win with a solid seven-inning performance — three runs allowed on eight hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
<h4>Pitching probables</h4>
Sunday: Rangers TBA at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-6, 6.35), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rockies TBA at Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (0-1, 4.50), 7:40 p.m.
Sunday: Rangers TBA at Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (0-6, 6.35), 1:10 p.m.
<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/newsletter-signup/rockies-insider//">Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.</a>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6051079</post-id><media:content url="https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24132108065452.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="215877" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon follows the flight of his double to drive in two runs off Texas Rangers relief Yerry Rodríguez in the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ]]></media:description></media:content>
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