Break up the Rockies.
They rallied to beat the Giants 4-3 at Oracle Park Thursday night, sending the baseball universe into a tizzy.
It marked the first time the Rockies won back-to-back games this season and ended their 13-game road losing streak. They won for the first time in San Francisco since July 7, 2023 — a losing skid of 12 consecutive games.
Rookie right-hander Zach Agnos, installed as the closer in Colorado’s 2-1 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, delivered his second save. He methodically set the Giants down in order in the ninth.
Rallies have been tough to come by for the Rockies this season. And rallies are always tough in San Francisco, but rally the Rockies did in the eighth off Chatfield High School product Tyler Rogers to take their 4-3 lead.
Brenton Doyle hit a one-out single to right, stole second and scored on Jordan Beck’s ground-rule double to left. Catcher Hunter Goodman’s RBI single to center scored Beck for the go-ahead run.
A key play in Colorado’s victory came in the eighth when Goodman threw out Wilmer Flores attempting to steal second base. It mattered, big time, because Mike Yastrzemski subsequently hit a single that would have scored Flores had he not been thrown out.
Colorado looked doomed to another loss in the City by the Bay until Ryan McMahon sparked the offense and busted out of the worst slump of his career. He ripped Jason Velander’s 1-1 fastball over the center-field wall for a solo homer in the seventh, cutting the Giants’ lead to 3-2. McMahon snapped a 0-for-35 hitless streak, the longest in Rockies history.
“I just want to help the team find its way,” McMahon told Rockies.TV. “We have a lot of belief. I think the guys have bought into what we are trying to do. We had some really good at-bats.
“We played a really clean game tonight against a really good baseball club, so it was a good win. We’ll try to come back and do it tomorrow.”
Lefty Kyle Freeland gave the Rockies a solid start: three hits allowed over six innings on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Freeland’s night started with a jolt. Heliot Ramos led off the Giants’ first with a 430-foot homer to center. The ball came off Ramos’ bat at 113 mph.
Freeland cruised until San Francisco’s two-run sixth. Willy Adames led off with a single to left, and Flores doubled him home with a double to right. Yastrzemski chased Flores home with a double to left.
Injury updates. Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is making “minimal progress” in his return from his left hip bruise, manager Bud Black told MLB.com in San Francisco. Black said Tovar is hitting and playing catch, but is still feeling discomfort when he runs.
Right-handed starter Ryan Feltner is still experiencing back spasms and will probably miss his scheduled start on Saturday vs. the Giants. The Rockies will likely have to call up a starter from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Designated hitter Kris Bryant met with back specialists early in the week, but he is not close to returning to the diamond. However, Black said that there had been no discussion of shutting Bryant down for the rest of the season.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Originally Published:
