The Rockies clawed back from multiple deficits once again, and this time they ended up victorious. Tanner Gordon was excellent, and the offense was humming when it needed to. It was a complete-team effort to salvage the series and avoid the sweep. They still need three more wins to avoid the MLB record.
Good Gordon
Tanner Gordon has been phenomenal over his last three starts, and today was no different. He was on pace to became the first starter since Austin Gomber in 2023 to win four consecutive starts (more
on that later), and against the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Astros and Cubs nonetheless. And don’t forget that he also won his start against the Yankees earlier this year. But even though he didn’t earn a decision, Gordon at least earned his third-straight Quality Start.
This afternoon, Gordon pitched six innings and allowed just two runs on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. The two runs came on a double by Seiya Suzuki in the third inning, but then Gordon came back to retire the next seven batters until Kyle Tucker singled to lead off the sixth.
Additionally, the nine strikeouts are important because not only were they a career high for Gordon, but they also marked the highest strikeout total by a Rockies starting pitcher this season. Gordon was also incredibly efficient, throwing just 22 pitches through the first two innings. He threw a total of 81 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Go Offense, Go!
The Rockies, as they have in the second half, battled back and were able to overcome a deficit. Unfortunately, one swing of the bat by Ian Happ changed the momentum late in the game.
After being down 2-0 in the third, they came back in the bottom half of the frame with two of their own. Braxton Fulford doubled to lead off the inning, and Orlando Arcia singled to put runners on first and third. Ryan Ritter struck out, but then Tyler Freeman bunted to move Arcia and score Fulford.
Ezequiel Tovar then grounded into a force out to Dansby Swanson (Arcia was out at third), and then Brenton Doyle singled to score Freeman. In the middle of that, Tovar was caught with some bad base-running and was tagged out to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, the Rockies continued to score. Jordan Beck and Kyle Karros got out 1-2, but then Kyle Farmer walked and Fulford knocked him in on a triple that was nearly an inside-the-park home run.
He was then knocked in by Arcia to double the Rockies’ score/lead. Ritter was then hit by a pitch, but Freeman popped out to first to end the inning and strand the two runners.
Fast forward to the seventh inning, and the Rockies appeared to have another rally going. Arcia singled and Ritter doubled to put men on first and second with zero out. Freeman then walked to load the bases, but Tovar struck out swinging. Doyle hit a sac fly to score Arcia and then Ritter and Freeman advanced on a balk. Beck, who was at the plate, then walked but Karros struck out swinging with the bases loaded to limit the scoring to just one run.
Lefty Letdown
After a terrific start by Gordon and outstanding showing by the offense, the stranded runners in the seventh came back to bite them. Jaden Hill relieved Gordon and threw one perfect inning with a strikeout. He was then relieved by Luis Peralta, the Rockies’ only left-handed reliever, and the wheels fell off. Peralta immediately walked Michael Busch to lead off the eighth and Kyle Tucker singled to put two men on. Suzuki lined out to right, but then Ian Happ smacked his 18th home run — just his fourth batting right-handed — to tie the game at five.
Pete Crow-Armstrong then hit a single and was initially called safe, but was called out upon a Rockies challenge (their second successful challenge of the game). Angel Chivilli came in to relieve Peralta, and got Dansby Swanson to fly out to end the inning, but the damage was done. Additionally, that means that Gordon would not earn his fourth-straight win.
Mickey Money-ak
After a deflating eighth inning, Juan Mejia came on to pitch the ninth and was able to send down Willi Castro, Matt Shaw and Reese McGuire 1-2-3. But the bottom half is where they came alive. Cubs closer Daniel Palencia came in to close, and Ritter squared up a 98.7 MPH fastball to get on base. Mickey Moniak, who came in to replace Freeman in the eighth, made sure to knock him in. Moniak squared up a slider into right for an RBI triple. The ball ran all the way to the wall, but then Tucker had to chase it, which led to Ritter coming around third to score on the triple. It marked the Rockies’ first walk-off triple since Brandon Barnes in 2014, and Moniak’s second-career walk-off hit.
Up Next
The Rockies continue their homestand with a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres. Chase Dollander will face Giants’ right-hander Kai-Wei Teng at 2:10 pm MT. See you then!
