Rockies split another doubleheader

Game 1: Padres 2, Rockies 1: The painful extra inning affair.

The Colorado Rockies didn’t get blown out in game one of this doubleheader, so that’s a positive. However, they weren’t able to win game one.

Have yourself a day, Ryan Feltner

The Rockies tasked Ryan Feltner with going out and being an effective pitcher, channeling the pitcher we saw on Memorial Day, not the one we saw against the Braves. Feltner did just that. He went out and finished six full innings only giving up only one run — a single pitch that I’m sure Feltner wishes he could take back.

The game was completely quiet until the bottom of the third inning when Ryan Feltner gave up a home run to the San Diego Padres’ Trent Grisham. Feltner didn’t let that phase him, though. He was able to go scoreless the rest of the game.

Ryan Feltner ended the day with very little to regret.

The Rockies score!

After being shutout last night, the Rockies were able to score. In the top of the sixth inning the Rockies were able to take advantage and even up the score. Charlie Blackmon struck out, but was able to take first base on a wild pitch. After CJ Cron struck out, Brendan Rodgers was able to send Charlie home with a double.

After that hit from Rodgers, the Rockies and Padres were both unable to score until extra innings.

The erroneous win

The Rockies lost this game because of an error. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Carlos Estévez threw a wild pitch and Elías Díaz made a bad throw to third baseman, Ryan McMahon. And with that, Manny Machado (who started on second in the California tie-breaker) was able to score the winning run. The Rockies defense strikes again.

Some notable moments

Even though the game was lost on a defensive error, the Rockies had a few defensive plays that were impressive.

In the bottom of the second inning, Sam Hilliard made a great leaping catch.

Brian Serven was also able to contribute by being attentive and got to ball to Brendan Rodgers to tag out Sergio Alcántara.

The Rockies defensive woes really need to stop. Losing a game on an error is a painful way to end game one of this doubleheader. On to game two.

★ ★ ★

Game 2: Rockies 6, Padres 2: Another doubleheader split!

As has been pattern this year, the Rockies won the second game of their doubleheader 6-2. And they did so in very convincing fashion.

Holy offense, Batman!

As expected, the Rockies offense exploded in the second game. It all started in the second inning.

First, Yonathan Daza singled. Randal Grichuk and Ryan McMahon were then sent down in order, but then MacKenzie Gore walked three straight batters — Garrett Hampson, Elias Díaz and Connor Joe — to score the Rockies’ first run and give them a 1-0 lead.

The third inning, though, was the big inning.

Brendan Rodgers hit a leadoff double, and C.J. Cron singled to drive him home. Daza and Grichuk then each singled to put the Rockies up 3-0. McMahon hit a sac fly to knock in Daza. Hampson walked again, and that was the end of the line for Gore. His final pitching line: 2 ¹⁄₃ IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. This was Gore’s worst outing in all statistical categories.

But once Craig Stammen came in, the Rockies would go on to score two more runs. Díaz immediately scored Grichuk on an RBI single, and Charlie Blackmon grounded into an RBI out after Connor Joe also walked. Brendan Rodgers eventually ended the inning, but the Rockies went up 6-0.

Charlie Blackmon and Ryan McMahon were the only two Rockies starters to not reach base tonight, although they did each record an RBI.

Quality Kyle

Kyle Freeland had his second phenomenal start in a row, spinning six innings of three-hit, two-run baseball. He hit a batter and walked two, but also struck out three. The two runs came in the fourth and sixth when Freeland gave up his first hit — a double to Jake Cronenworth — and an RBI groundout to Luke Voit two batters later. In the sixth, it was a double by Voit to score Jurickson Profar, who had singled and stole second on a throwing error by Elias Díaz to start the inning (Díaz would finish the game with two errors).

Overall, it was a phenomenal start for Freeland, who seems to be finding himself more and more recently.

More Web Gems

The second game also had a notable web gem from Brendan Rodgers in the seventh inning:

Carlos Estévez also made up for his earlier walk-off wild pitch by striking out the side in the ninth to end the game:

Up Next

The Rockies will look to split the series tomorrow. Germán Márquez will take on Blake Snell at 2:10 p.m. MDT. See you there!