Rise and shine, Rockies fans! We have an early start today!
The Colorado Rockies will look to avoid the sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates on national television (Roku) this morning. Over their last two games, they have been outscored 14-1 and outhit 25-9. The only reason they avoided a shutout in last night’s contest was because Brenton Doyle launched a 412-foot homer in the ninth inning. Today, they will try something different as McCade Brown (No. 26 PuRP) will be tasked with dueling Paul Skenes
to avoid said sweep.
Brown will be the Rockies’ 13th rookie to debut in 2025, breaking a club record (12) set in 2016 and 2024. With an average age of 26.6, the Rockies are the third-youngest roster in MLB behind the Washington Nationals
(26.1) and Miami Marlins (26.5). And the rookies have been doing alright this year. Ryan Ritter has hit safely in a career-high 10-straight games. Warming Bernabel has hit safely in six of his last seven starts, and ranks among Major League rookie leaders in hits, extra-base hits, doubles, and OPS. Kyle Karros leads all Rockies’ position players with three defensive runs saved at third base despite logging just 113.1 innings this season, and has reached base safely in 10 of his first 14 games.
Brown is 4-2 with a 2.47 ERA with 30 walks and 105 strikeouts in 20 minor-league starts (nine with High-A Spokane and 11 with Double-A Hartford). In his last outing at the Somerset Patriots on August 19, he tossed six scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and eight strikeouts.
The right-hander will be tried by fire in his first MLB start, facing Paul Skenes at PNC Park. Skenes (7-9, 2.16 ERA) last faced the Rockies on August 2nd at Coors Field, tossing five innings and allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. He last pitched at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 18th, going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Can the Rockies win the battle today, or will they be forced to walk the plank?
First Pitch: 10:05 a.m. MDT
TV: The Roku Channel
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Lineups:
