Colorado Rockies vs. New York Yankees: Highs, lows, and history

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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 22: Starlin Castro #14 of the New York Yankees connects on a game winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth-inning to defet the Colorado Rockies 9-7 at Yankee Stadium on June 22, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

We continue our series detailing the history of the Colorado Rockies against American League teams with a look at previous encounters with the New York Yankees.

Since interleague play began, the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees have met 22 times, with the Bronx Bombers holding a 12-10 series edge. In Denver, the Rockies are 7-4 against the Yankees while Colorado is 3-8 in games played in the Bronx.

Let’s start our flashback by looking at games that have been played inside old and new Yankee Stadium.

The Rockies last visited the Yankees in July of 2019, losing two of three games. Former Rockies DJ LeMahieu and Mike Tauchman made big impacts in the series opener as the Yankees took an 8-2 decision. LeMahieu, a two-time All-Star in Colorado, went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI while Tauchman, traded just four months before for reliever Phillip Diehl, went 3-for-4 and scored two runs, both times being plated by LeMahieu.

Colorado split a pair of games with the Yankees in their 2016 visit to New York. Coming off an 8-4 win, the Rockies were looking for a sweep. However, Rockies reliever Jason Motte gave up a home run to Starlin Castro to lead off the bottom of the ninth to break the hearts of Colorado fans.

In June of 2004, marking Colorado’s first visit to the Bronx, New York posted a three-game sweep. New York pitcher Javier Vazquez outdueled Colorado’s Jeff Fassero and Mariano Rivera recorded his 24th save as the Yankees won the series opener, 2-1.

DENVER – SEPTEMBER 19: Pitcher Mike Hampton #10 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 19, 2001 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies won 8-2. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

The first-ever meeting between the Yankees and Rockies took place at Coors Field in June of 2002 and the three-game series ended with a beauty, at least for Colorado fans.

After losing to the Yankees the previous day 20-10 (in a game where starting pitchers Mike Hampton and Andy Pettitte gave up a combined 15 runs in a combined 8.2 innings pitched), Colorado had some walkoff magic saved up for Sunday.

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In a game started by Roger Clemens, the game would come down to the 10th inning. Facing Yankees reliever Steve Karsay, Colorado’s Larry Walker led off the bottom frame with a single to right and Todd Helton followed with a single as well. Todd Zeile would then prove to be the hero, smacking a three-run home run to left field for the walkoff win.

Ironically, Zeile would sign with the Yankees for the 2003 season. We recently highlighted him in a series of “Forgotten Rockies.”

The Yankees last visited Denver in 2016 as Colorado took both games of the two-game set. Included in that series was a 13-10 Colorado win where the Yankees scored seven times in the top of the eighth to pull close before Carlos Estevez pitched a perfect ninth to record the save.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Phillip Diehl #64 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Oracle Park on September 26, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

As mentioned earlier in the article, DJ LeMahieu and Mike Tauchman are two former Rockies who will likely continue to make an impact for the Yankees when baseball resumes.

But that’s not where the current Rockies-Yankees connection stops. Chris Iannetta and Chad Bettis, who formed the battery in many games for Colorado last season, will both likely be back in Yankees camp when spring training resumes. Former Rockies closer Adam Ottavino is in the New York bullpen, as is former Colorado reliever Tommy Kahnle. Former Colorado pitcher David Hale is looking to make the New York roster, as is former Rockies prospect Rosell Herrera.

Yankees fans are hoping there’s another Colorado connection sometime in the near future as they clamor for the team to somehow land Nolan Arenado in a trade. Swaps between the two teams have brought the Rockies current pitchers Phillip Diehl (in the Tauchman trade) and Joe Harvey (in a trade for pitcher Alfredo Garcia).

Next. What a proposed Yankees-Rockies trade involving Ryan McMahon might look like. dark

When a team is nicknamed “Rockies East” like the Yankees are, you know there is plenty of recent history between two teams, even if there hasn’t been that much time they’ve actually spent playing against each other.

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