Colorado Rockies morning after: Ryan Castellani’s first MLB win was an odd one

Unlike most odd games that they play, the Colorado Rockies had a low-scoring game that was odd.

The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks were both on extended losing streaks entering Monday and were in the bottom of the NL West standings (the Rockies were in a virtual tie for third with the Giants but only 1/2 a game up on the D’Backs, who were and still are in last).

Both teams were struggling on offense and struggling on the pitching front as well but the pitching prevailed as the Rockies won 3-2, getting Ryan Castellani his first MLB win.

However, it was low-scoring, unlike most of their odd games, which usually are slugfests. It was odd even before the game started.

A late scratch from the Rockies lineup

First off, the Rockies scratched their right fielder Charlie Blackmon from the starting lineup and replaced him with Garrett Hampson (Sam Hilliard moved from center field to right field and Hampson played center). He was scratched with left quad tightness.

After the game, Rockies manager Bud Black told the media via Zoom that Blackmon “tweaked” the quad at Dodger Stadium on this play at first base. Black said that as the team was leaving Los Angeles, it started “tightening up a little bit.” It loosened during the day on Monday but when he got to the ballpark, Black said that Blackmon’s quad “just wasn’t right.”

He said that he planned on giving Blackmon an off day any way during the series so they decided to scratch him on Monday. Black said that he was available for pinch-hitting duties on Monday but they “probably” would have put in a pinch-runner for him if he got on base.

Black said that he “would like to think that he will be in [the lineup on Tuesday] but if he’s not, don’t be surprised but it shouldn’t be a lingering thing for Charlie.”

Both the Rockies and D’backs had to scratch someone before the game.

After the Rockies scratched Blackmon, the D’Backs scratched their starting pitcher Merrill Kelly about 20 minutes before the first pitch. They placed him on the 10-day injured list with a “nerve impingement” to his right shoulder.

Kelly told the media, via Zoom, after the game that he had been dealing with the issue for the last ten days or so. However, a few days ago, he had an MRI and an ultrasound on the shoulder and there didn’t look to be anything wrong. It got worse in the last “three to four days,” the pain was “nagging” but he thought he could get through it. Once he started warming up for the game, though, he said that it got worse than it was before so he and the D’Backs made the decision to scratch him from the start.

Taylor Clarke started in his place and he pitched four innings, allowing two runs (one earned).

An early start to the game for the Rockies

The Rockies changed the lineup up a bit with Charlie Blackmon vacating the three spot so Bud Black moved everyone up a spot after Blackmon.

Before the Rockies could even get to the three spot in the lineup (occupied by Nolan Arenado on Monday), second hitter Trevor Story hit a 449 foot, solo home run to left field to make it 1-0 Rockies.

Arenado singled on the very next pitch but Daniel Murphy, who has been struggling a lot lately at we mentioned in our keys to the series on Monday, grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Ryan Castellani retired the D’Backs 1-2-3 in the first but he walked Christian Walker with one out in the second inning. Eduardo Escobar followed with a single to center field, with a shift on. However, he was out at second base on a phenomenal, heads-up defensive play by Nolan Arenado.

The third inning the beginning of a strange night for Rockies catcher Tony Wolters.

With it being a 1-0 game in the top of the third, Tony Wolters led the inning off with a single. With Wolters on first, Raimel Tapia grounded a single to center. Wolters, aggressively, tried to make it third base. Center fielder Starling Marte’s throw beat Wolters at third base but Wolters dove, in mid-air, on top of Eduardo Escobar’s glove, knocking the ball out of his hand.

Wolters was safe and Tapia advanced to second on what was later ruled an error on Escobar (originally, it was ruled a throwing error on the center fielder Marte).

After Story was retired, the D’Backs decided to intentionally walk Nolan Arenado (as they would later in the fifth inning). Daniel Murphy got a sacrifice fly to score Wolters but Ryan McMahon was retired on the first pitch of his at-bat following Murphy to end the inning, as the Rockies were only able to plate one runner after they had the bases loaded with only one out.

Castellani gave up a solo homer to Kole Calhoun in the third to make it a 2-1 game and Christian Walker homered to tie it at two in the fourth.

Taylor Widener comes on in relief to start the fifth and Tony Wolters, leading off the inning again, gets a hit again but this time, it’s a double to right field. Tapia drives in Wolters with a single to right field three pitches later to regain the lead at 3-2, which is where the scoring would stay.

The Rockies had plenty of chances to make it a bigger lead, particularly in the fifth and seventh, when they had runners on first and second with only one out and failed to score. The Rockies also hit into three double plays in the game.

Kole Calhoun spoke with the media as well, and he said that he wasn’t expecting the Rockies catcher to back up the throw. And he also made an admission.

Calhoun spoke with the media, via Zoom, after the game as well and he said that he instinctively broke for second base but he “wasn’t expecting Wolters to be there with the ball.”

He said that the throw was “pretty directly” at his head so, while running to second and looking back at Wolters, he “ducked” his head and it hit him. He said that he didn’t argue much because he “didn’t really know what the rule [was].” He also admitted, though, that he “definitely did not try to get out of the way.”

“I’m not going to say that I deviated too much from my path … Was I trying to let it hit my head? Yeah, I was. Even looking at the replay, and when it really happened, I really don’t think I make a huge move to really get in front of the ball,” added Calhoun, who was laughing about the situation.

In the 9th, with Daniel Bard on the mound, Wolters was injured on a foul ball that hit his knee. He was removed from the game in favor of Drew Butera. Wolters was taken for x-rays but Bud Black did not have an update yet when he spoke with the media after the game.

Ryan Castellani got the win, as he went six innings allowing three hits, two runs (both earned and from solo homers), three walks, and he struck out three. Daniel Bard got the save, his second on the season.

We’ll have to see whether or not Wolters or Blackmon are in the lineup today or available for pinch-hitting/late-game substitution duties. The Rockies have German Marquez slated to start against left-hander Alex Young at 7:40 p.m. (Mountain time).