The Colorado Rockies fought and fought, pushing the San Diego Padres into extras. Unfortunately, they came out on the losing end of a crooked loss, but they showed some absolute heart. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak, and also marked the longest game (by innings) in 2026.
Jimmy Herget opened with a clear inning
Herget played the role of “opener” today. He said on the broadcast that last year he made an appearance in every inning except the first, so today he got his chance. Herget set the tone with an excellent first inning,
going 1-2-3 to Jake Cronenworth, Fernando Tatís Jr., and Jackson Merrill. None of the outs were strikeouts, but outs are outs and Herget only threw 10 pitches (six for strikes).
Go Do(llander)
As expected, Chase Dollander took over in the second and ended up going 4.1 innings. He allowed just one earned run with one walk and three strikeouts. He started laboring in the sixth, but was able to get a huge strikeout of Tatís Jr.
Extra (extra) bases
Ezequiel Tovar reached twice again tonight, knocking two doubles.
Brenton Doyle also got to don the purple coat, which did make the trip. The center fielder hit his first home run of the year in the third inning to put the Rockies up 1-0.
Stop hitting Hunter!
In the sixth inning, Hunter Goodman got hit on the right hand for the second day in a row. Randy Vásquez threw a pitch up and in, and it caught Goodman’s hand wrapped around the bat. He walked to first and was met by Warren Schaeffer and Andy Stover. They immediately wrapped his middle finger and it looked like he would attempt to carry on, but he then started bleeding under the bandage. He went into the dugout to get it wrapped and more deeply examined, but then tore off his helmet and threw it down in frustration — Brett Sullivan would then enter the game in his place.
Luckily, it appears that x-rays were negative and Goodman just suffered a right finger laceration. Schaeffer said after the game that Goodman is “day to day.”
Defensive unraveling
The Rockies have had impeccable defense for most of the season, but when it rains, it pours sometimes…
In the bottom of the sixth, the Rox had plenty of opportunities to make outs but couldn’t hold onto the ball. First, Manny Machado reached on a throwing error by Edouard Julien, who tossed the ball into the dirt and Troy Johnston couldn’t smother it. Then, Dollander had Machado picked off but Johnston couldn’t keep it in his glove to record the out. And then, Xander Bogaerts hit a tailor-made double play ball, but Tovar bungled the transfer and rather than record three easy outs, the Rockies then had first and second with one out.
Bullpen wizardry
Luckily, Jaden Hill came in and quickly struck out Gavin Sheets, but then a double steal put men on second and third. Sullivan attempted to pick off Machado at third, but Willi Castro wasn’t quite at the bag. But Hill struck out Nick Castellanos and the Rockies escaped what could’ve been a very bad inning.
Hill stayed in for the seventh inning and got Ty France, Freddy Fermin, and Cronenworth 1-2-3.
Juan Mejia came in for the eighth and was outstanding. He battled against Tatís Jr., who did end up walking. They nearly got him at second after Merrill flied out to center, but Castro was once again slightly behind the bag. However, he was picked off on this excellent play:
Machado singled again, but Mejia struck out Bogaerts to end the inning.
Extra, extra, extra innings!
The 10th inning started with Castro on second as the ghost runner. Jake McCarthy hit a (weird) sacrifice bunt to move him over, and then Doyle walked.
Tyler Freeman hit another clutch single like he did in Toronto to put the Rockies up 2-1 in extras. Unfortunately, he slid early and was nearly leveled by Bogaerts — and that ended up being called interference to end the inning.
In the Padres’ half, Tovar kept Luis Campusano close at second, but then when Cronenworth hit a sacrifice bunt, Victor Vodnik was able to field and pick him off at third base. Unfortunately, Tatís singled and then Merrill walked to load the bases. Machado then hit a sac fly to score Cronenworth.
In the 11th, Sullivan led off with a double down the right field line to score Kyle Karros and put the Rockies up 3-2.
Johnston then walked, but then TJ Rumfield struck out swinging. Tovar grounded into a force out to get Johnston at second, and then Castro gathered a platinum sombrero with an inning-ending fifth strikeout.
Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom half of the 11th and gave up a single to Sheets. He got Castellanos to line out on a spectacular glove save by Karros followed by a strikeout of Ramón Laureano. But then Campusano doubled to score Sheets and then Cronenworth popped out to Karros to send things to the bottom half.
In the bottom half, Valente Bellozo came on to try to hold the the Padres’ best hitters off the board. Tatís Jr. laid down a bunt to move over Cronenworth. Then, Schaffer elected to intentionally walk Merrill and Machado. Unfortunately, Bogaerts belted one over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam, and the Rockies lost 7-3 after battling back all through extras.
Up Next
Luckily, tomorrow is another night game.
Tomoyuki Sugano will take on Walker Buehler at 6:40pm MT.
See you then!
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