The Stanley Cup wasn’t enough to help the Rockies complete a sweep on Wednesday night, but they still got a series win against the NL West first-place Dodgers.
The game featured a fourth-inning departure for Germán Márquez, a 3-1 ratio of Dodger to Rockies homers, the Rockies only being outhit 11-10, and a good amount of rain. Los Angeles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and even held a 7-1 lead through five innings. It was too much for the Rockies to overcome.
Rodgers, Cron, and Bryant: Taking care of business
Brendan Rodgers homered, doubled, and singled to drive in three runs in the game. The first RBI came in the fourth inning when he hit a two-out double to score Kris Bryant and put the Rockies on the board. In the eighth inning, with the rain coming down pretty darn good at Coors Field, Rodgers hit his seventh homer of the season — a 435-foot bomb to center field.
Brendan Rodgers' 3-hit, 3-RBI game
— RoxGifsVids (@RoxGifsVids) June 30, 2022
17th multi-hit game of the season pic.twitter.com/KpNTxp79kk
C.J. Cron helped knock Julio Urías out of the game when he singled in the sixth to score Yonathan Daza. When flame-throwing Brusdar Graterol replaced Urías, Rodgers stepped up to poke a 100-mph fastball for a single to right field and plate Bryant. While the power has yet to arrive for Bryant, he did post two singles and scored two runs.
Despite getting two runs in the sixth, the Rockies left a lot out there when Ryan McMahon grounded out with the bases loaded. Overall, the Rockies did go 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, which isn’t too bad.
Even though the Rockies couldn’t come up with the big hits to win, Coors Field did show off its new light show.
LIGHT SHOW pic.twitter.com/D3dXRjXkmG
— RoxGifsVids (@RoxGifsVids) June 30, 2022
Command issues for Márquez
The trouble started right away when Freddie Freeman tagged Germán Márquez for a solo homer to put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the first. After retiring the next three batters, including striking out Chris Taylor, things got worse in the second inning. In a 13-pitch battle against Cody Bellinger, the struggling slugger drew a walk, which seemed to open the flood gates. Jake Lamb followed with a single and then Márquez walked Gavin Lux to load the bases with one out. Winter and Summer Olympian Eddy Alvarez connected for a sac fly, but then Trea Turner hit a two-run, two-out double to make it 4-0 L.A. Márquez rebounded for a 1-2-3 third inning, but another walk got him into trouble in the fourth. Lux and Alvarez then hit back-to-back singles to put Los Angeles up 5-1. That’s when the training staff came out to check on Márquez and determined he needed to leave the game. His final line: 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts in 3 1⁄3 innings. He didn’t get any whiffs on 10 fastballs and 8 sliders. In the post-game press conference, Bud Black attributed the problems to a cut on Márquez’s thumb, which made it painful to grip his fastball, which then affect the fastball. In the locker room, Márquez said that he cut his thumb in a side session in the bullpen a few days ago that left it bleeding. Black said he doesn’t believe it should be a concern moving forward.
Too much to ask for the bullpen
When the bullpen gets action in the fourth inning, it’s bound to be a rough night even with some scoreless innings and good performances. Jhoulys Chacín started off on the right foot by getting Trea Turner to ground into a double play to escape Márquez’s mess in the fourth. However, in the fifth, he surrendered a two-run homer to Will Smith. Ty Blach was able to finish up the fifth without damage and then evade any runs in the sixth despite giving up two runs, largely due to a great catch by Daza — his second robbery of the night. Jake Bird entered for a scoreless seventh, but then gave up a solo homer to Cody Bellinger in the eighth. Carlos Estévez pitched a dramatic, but eventually pain-free ninth, issuing two walks and one single to load the bases with two outs
Quality start and milestone for Urías
Despite getting two hits (a single by Charlie Blackmon and a double from José Iglesias), the Rockies were held in check with four strikeouts by Julio Urías through three innings. The second one marked the 500th career strikeout for the seven-year lefty. He gave up two singles and one more run through the next two innings, but was then chased from the game in the sixth inning after surrendering his first and only walk of the game and two singles. His final line: 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, and 1 walk in 5 1⁄3 innings. All five of his strikeouts came on swings and misses out of the zone.
Avalanche on the field, Cup in the house
Before the game, the Avalanche, led by team captain Gabe Landeskog carrying the Stanley Cup, entered out of the left field wall and took a partial lap around the field. They were hailed by the crowd and welcomed by Blink 182’s “All the Small Things” on the loudspeakers.
Lord Stanley & @Avalanche… WELCOME TO COORS pic.twitter.com/MdEWf7fyL5
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 30, 2022
Then Landy threw out the first pitch to none other than the Rockies No. 1 Avs fan, Kyle Freeland.
#GoAvsGo captain Gabriel Landeskog throws the ceremonial first pitch to #Rockes LHP Kyle Freeland. pic.twitter.com/XNqbGYpE4o
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) June 30, 2022
Up next
The Rockies will have the day off on Thursday, which means they are free to attend the Avalanche championship parade if they want to. On Friday, the Rockies begin a three-game series at Coors Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks with fireworks shows on Friday and Saturday night. In Friday night’s game, Antonio Senzatela (3-4, 4.66 ERA) will face off against Merrill Kelly (6-5, 3.64 ERA).
Loading comments...