Jordan Beck very nearly had himself a cycle, but a three-hit game worked just as well as he powered the Colorado Rockies offense to victory over the Minnesota Twins in a fun Friday night fight.
Earthshaker
Colorado’s lineup has certainly had its fair share of difficulties this season, but they came out ready to rock on Friday night.
Things got off to a hot start early when Tyler Freeman led off the bottom of the first inning with a double. He’d trot right on home on Mickey Moniak’s subsequent double, itself a precursor
to Jordan Beck’s RBI triple, his fifth three-bagger of the season, which gave the home team a quick 2-0 lead.
(that’s top six in MLB, by the way)
The best was yet to come, though. Ryan McMahon strode to the plate and hammered the first pitch he saw, a hanging curveball, out over the right field wall for a two-run homer. Mac’s 14th long ball of the season, a 436-foot blast, doubled Colorado’s advantage at 4-0.
Look out on the second deck pic.twitter.com/KYr3AcXZdP
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 19, 2025
It’s their most productive first inning of the season, and the first time in Colorado Rockies that they started the game with four straight hits. How about that?
Beck would also hit a home run in the bottom of the second frame, putting his team up 5-0. Cycle watch?
Guardian Bell
Ezequiel Tovar has been sorely missed in his time away from Coors Field, and it’s safe to say he was happy to be back on Friday.
Tovar flashed the leather a few times during the contest, the first of which being a nice play to rob Harrison Bader of a leadoff hit in the top of the second. He’d strike again in the top of the fourth when, with two outs, he ranged to his left and laid out to snag Brooks Lee’s hot ground ball and toss to first base to end the inning.
He’s baaaaaack pic.twitter.com/8uxjvxAWDC
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 19, 2025
The reigning Gold Glove shortstop of the National League wasted no time showing why he’s such a valuable asset to his team.
Hidden Dragon
The Twins offense was largely absent for much of the game, but not completely silent. Amongst their number lies one of the better hitters in MLB, and he made his presence known in the top of the fifth.
Byron Buxton, arguably the face of Minnesota’s franchise, ruined Kyle Freeland’s shutout hopes when he powered a 1-0 inside cutter out to left-center field for his 22nd home run of the season, putting the Twins on the board. It was just one run, but it showed that you can never fully relax when facing a hitter of Buxton’s caliber.
Counterpoint
Speaking of Freeland, he was on his A-game on Friday.
That Buxton home run was the sole blemish on his otherwise spotless start. The top of the sixth was a prime example of the resilience and mental fortitude that he can tap into at times. That frame saw Carlos Correa lead off with a walk and move to second base on Ty France’s base hit.
Two on, no out? No problem for K-Free, who struck out Harrison Bader, Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee in order to retire the side. In all, Freeland tossed six innings and allowed one run on five hits, three walks, and three strikeouts.
Freeland Fridays ™ pic.twitter.com/oxknCO6qAQ
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 19, 2025
Now that’s an ace.
Ominous Blight
With Freeland out of the game, it would be up to Colorado’s bullpen to halt Minnesota’s advance.
Well, that didn’t go quite to plan. Jake Bird entered in the top of the seventh inning and recorded a quick out before allowing consecutive singles, bringing Willi Castro to the batter’s box. Castro brought the Twins right back into the game with a three-run towering shot to center field, plating three and making it a 6-4 contest.
WILLI FAR!!!! pic.twitter.com/qKXhFGfsPd
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 19, 2025
Could Colorado keep it together long enough to hold onto their precious lead?
Star Seeker
After Jordan Beck went 0-for-2 in his final at-bats (thus ending our hopes of a cycle), the only objective left to check off on the list was to collect the save. The task would fall to Seth Halvorsen, who started off by inducing a pop out on the first pinch of the ninth inning.
He then struck out Buxton on six pitches, the last of them topping out at over 100 miles per hour. Ryan Jeffers singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but Halvorsen locked in and struck out Halvorsen to end the threat and the game.
Win secured.
Up Next
Game two between the Twins and Rockies will take place tomorrow evening. Antonio Senzatela (3-13, 6.60 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Rockies as he looks to get back on track. Minnesota has not yet announced their starter.
More from purplerow.com:
- Thursday Rockpile: The Rockies and the quest for the “big hit”
- Wednesday Rockpile: What’s the plan with Orlando Arcia?
- Colorado Rockies minor league game thread: May 29th, 2025
- Friday Rockpile: Leadoff hitters are pivotal for Rockies wins
- Cubs 2, Rockies 1: Still a loss, but closer
- Weekly Pebble Report: Charlie Condon is focused on the present and looking towards the future (May 20th-May 26th)
- Colorado Rockies game no. 56 thread: Tanner Gordon vs. Matthew Boyd
