Colorado Rockies: The best and worst at the season’s midway point

The amazing moments

We’re going to tip our caps to two moments that will forever be remembered by Rockies fans that happened in the first half of the season.

First, of course, were the heroics by Nolan Arenado in a span of two games, smacking game-winning hits against the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks in mid-June.

Colorado Rockies

There will be few moments in Rockies history that will stand out more than Arenado’s ninth-inning home run against the Giants on June 18. Not only did it give Nolan his first-ever cycle, it also completed the first-ever four-game sweep of the Giants. It also completed a four-run final frame for the Rockies that gave Colorado the win after San Francisco had scored three in the top of the ninth to take the lead.

The emotion. The blood- and dirt-caked jersey. The crowd chanting MVP. There are few more magical moments than that in Colorado baseball lore.

Nolan capped off another comeback win the very next game against Arizona, smacking a two-run eighth-inning triple to push the Rockies to 47-26 on the season. Again, the feeling inside Coors Field that night was electric.

The second biggest moment of the season came when Chad Bettis made his return from chemotherapy to rejoin the Rockies. While Bettis has yet to see action, his ability to be a part of the team and take steps every day to get closer to a return to the mound has been an emotional boost to Colorado.

His “return to Coors Field” press conference provided tears and goose bumps. When he steps back on the mound in a regular season game later this year, the emotion surrounding it will make it a must-watch event.

#TogetherForBettis has been a rallying cry this season for the Rockies and every day, we’re one day closer to watching a cancer survivor return to the thing he loves to do, play baseball.