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Colorado Rockies history: Andres Galarraga gets six hits in one game

By Noah Yingling |
14 Apr 1997: First baseman Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies swings at a pitch during the Rockies 10-8 win over the Montreal Expos at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado
14 Apr 1997: First baseman Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies swings at a pitch during the Rockies 10-8 win over the Montreal Expos at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado
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14 Apr 1997: First baseman Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies swings at a pitch during the Rockies 10-8 win over the Montreal Expos at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images.
14 Apr 1997: First baseman Andres Galarraga of the Colorado Rockies swings at a pitch during the Rockies 10-8 win over the Montreal Expos at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images. /

We continue with our top 32 moments in Rockies franchise history tournament with a moment early in Rockies history: a moment in the third year of the franchise’s existence.

On Monday, July 3, 1995, the Colorado Rockies faced the Houston Astros at Coors Field. The game was a classic Coors Field slugfest. Combined, the two teams had 25 runs and 34 hits in this slugfest as the Rockies prevailed by the score of 15-10. However, the highlight of the of the game was a career game for Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga. In the game, he had six hit in six at-bats.

The starting lineups

Houston Astros

  1. Brian Hunter, CF
  2. Future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio, 2B
  3. Future Hall-of-Famer Jeff Bagwell, 1B
  4. Derek Bell, RF
  5. Tony Eusebio, C
  6. James Mouton, LF
  7. Orlando Miller, SS
  8. Phil Nevin, 3B
  9. Doug Drabek, SP

The Rockies

  1. Eric Young, 2B
  2. Mike Kingery, CF
  3. Dante Bichette, LF
  4. Larry Walker, RF
  5. Galarraga, 1B
  6. Vinny Castilla, 3B
  7. Joe Girardi, C
  8. Walt Weiss, SS
  9. Armando Reynoso, SP
HOUSTON – JUNE 28: Second baseman Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros celebrates with his team after getting his 3,000th career hit against the Colorado Rockies in the 7th inning on June 28, 2007 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
HOUSTON – JUNE 28: Second baseman Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros celebrates with his team after getting his 3,000th career hit against the Colorado Rockies in the 7th inning on June 28, 2007 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Two pitches into the game, lead-off hitter Brian Hunter hit a double to left field. On the next pitch, future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio bunted him over to third. Another future Hall-of-Famer Jeff Bagwell followed with a RBI single to make it a 1-0 game within the first nine pitches of the game.

On the next pitch, Derek Bell hit a two-run home run to make it a 3-0 Astros lead on just ten pitches. Starting pitcher Armando Reynoso gave up a walk to Tony Eusebio and hit Orlando Miller but he got out of the inning without any further damage.

In the bottom of the first, Eric Young led off the frame with a single on the first pitch he saw. Young stole second base (no surprise) and Mike Kingery walked. After Dante Bichette and Larry Walker flyed out, the eventual player of the game, Andres Galarraga laced the first pitch down the left field line for a RBI single to score Young, advance Kingery to third, and make it a 3-1 Astros lead. However, starting pitcher Doug Drabek got out of the inning without any more damage.

In the second inning, Drabek singled but was retired on a force-out that got Hunter on-base. Biggio singled and two batters later, Bell drove Hunter in on an error by Walt Weiss to make it a 4-1 Astros game. In the bottom half of the inning, Reynoso had a single but the Rockies had nothing else.

22 Jul 1999: Vinny Castilla #9 of the Colorado Rockies swings at the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Rockies defeated the Dodgers 4-1. Getty Images.
22 Jul 1999: Vinny Castilla #9 of the Colorado Rockies swings at the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Rockies defeated the Dodgers 4-1. Getty Images. /

In the top of the third inning, James Mouton led off the top of the third inning with a home run but Armando Reynoso held the scoring to just that.

The Rockies, however, teed off Doug Drabek as Mike Kingery led off the frame with a double. With one out, Larry Walker singled him in. Andres Galarraga came up for the second time of the night and he came through for a second time and delievered for a second time. This time, he hit a two-run home run to make it a 5-4 game. Two pitches later, Vinny Castilla homered to make it a 5-5 tie. Joe Girardi and Walt Weiss reached via a walk and a hit by pitch but nothing else came about.

Scoring resumed in the bottom of the fourth inning. The inning started with Kingery and Dante Bichette led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Galarraga came up for the third time and delievered for the third time. This time, it was an RBI single to make it a 6-5 lead. Two batters later, Girardi came up and got a two-run triple to make it an 8-5 game that knocked Drabek out of the game.

Tony Eusebio had an RBI single in the top of the fifth to make it an 8-6 game. No further scoring happened until the top of the sixth. Jeff Bagwell had a two-RBI single, Derek Bell had a RBI single, and Eusebio had a RBI single to make it a 10-8 Astros lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Andres Galarraga led off the inning for his fourth at-bat and he recorded a single. Two batters later, Girardi had an infield single but Eusebio made a throwing error and it scored Galarraga from first. John Vander Wal came in to pinch hit for Steve Reed (who had come into the game to record the final out in the top of the inning) and Vander Wal came through with a RBI single to make it tied at 10 a piece.

8 Apr 1998: Dante Bichette #10 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport/Getty Images.
8 Apr 1998: Dante Bichette #10 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Cardinals defeated the Rockies 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport/Getty Images. /

Scoring was done for the Astros but Galarraga and the Rockies took the lead with a home run, his fifth hit of the evening, in the seventh inning. In the eighth, Dante Bichette had a three-run home run and Larry Walker followed with a home run to make it a 15-10 game. No further scoring happened but Galarraga followed Walker with a single for his sixth hit in his sixth at-bat of the day. Darren Holmes closed the door with a six-out save.

Galarraga ended the evening going 6-for-6 including a double and two home runs with four runs, five RBI, and 13 total bases.

Aftermath

The game was the series opener against the Astros. Galarraga went 1-for-7 with a double and walk for the rest of the series. The Rockies lost by a score of 16-8 the next day in another classic Coors Field game.

For the season, Galarraga ended up with 31 home runs, 106 RBI, and he came in 16th in the MVP voting. With the win, the Rockies record was 34-29. After the win, the Rockies went 43-38 to go 77-67, which was enough to secure the first Wild Card in baseball history (of course, it was implemented in 1994 but with the player’s strike, there was no playoffs so therefore, this was the first Wild Card in baseball history). They faced the eventual World Champion Atlanta Braves in the NLDS and the Rockies were dispatched in four games.

The Astros finished with a 76-68 record, second in the National League Central and one game back of the Rockies for the wild card.

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