Colorado Rockies rebound, take series vs. D-Backs

After last week’s painful series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Colorado Rockies stepped up to the plate to face off the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rockies came out swinging in game one of the series, putting up a total of eight runs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to outscore the D-Backs who closed the game with three runs in the 13th inning, which gave them a two-run victory over the Rox.

This game was a wizards duel if I’ve ever seen one, particularly from the sixth inning and onward. The Rockies seemed to be controlling the ball game entirely through the first four – three runs scored, none given, and really tight defense. However, things started to unravel quickly. Marquez gave up 3 runs between the fifth and sixth and then, reliever Yency Almonte made a quick mound trip in the seventh to give up two more runs and walk off the field with a 12.00 ERA.

However, not all was a loss for the Colorado Rockies…

Diamond in the rough, Ryan McMahon (3B), hit three home runs at his first three at-bats – the first three-homer game of the season and only the 18th ever in Rockies franchise history. According to CBS Sports, the last Rockie to have a three-homer game was shortstop Trevor Story in September of the 2018 season. It’s also mentioned that no Rockie has ever hit four home runs in a single game. McMahon finished the game with four hits – all RBI’s – and an OPS of 1.667. The 26-year old infielder had a slightly below-average season last year with an OPS of .714 and a battering average of .215 but the 2021 season looks promising for the young third baseman.

Game two was much more enjoyable for the Rockies.

The Rockies dominated the Diamondbacks with an eight-zip shutout – only the second shutout ever against the D-Backs at Coors Field. Rockies Right-fielder, Chris Owings, was on fire and went 3-for-3 with two RBI’s. However, Owings left the game after the fifth inning with leg soreness. We’re trying not to panic just yet, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on this situation. So far this season, Owings holds a batting average of .500 with a spectacular OPS of 1.563 through 14 plate appearances.

Rockies’ outfielders Garrett Hampson and Sam Hilliard also put on a show at the plate. Hampson went 2-for-3 with two RBI’s, finishing the game with an OPS of .800. Hilliard only went 1-for-2 but knocked in two runs with that one connect, walking off with an OPS of 1.385.

Taco’s, taco’s, taco’s!

The Rockies closed out the series strong with a 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks. Rox looked sharp from the mound and defensively in the field. Starting pitcher, Jon Gray, threw lightening for six hitless innings before giving up two hits and a run in the seventh. Gray now carries an ERA of 1.54 on the season.

Third baseman, Ryan McMahon showed off his athleticism and defensive ability by making yet another beautiful barehanded grab to get first out of the sixth to jam up the D-Backs momentum. Reliever, Carlos Estevez then gave up back to back walks in the top of the ninth before being pulled. Thankfully, Daniel Bard took over the mound to close the inning and seal the Rockies victory – Bard’s second save of the season.

While we didn’t get the sweep we were hoping for, the Rockies are definitely not letting the disappointing opening series slow them down. We hope they carry the energy and positivity into San Francisco tomorrow as the Rox hit the road for a three game series against the Giants.

Additionally, the Rockies did give the fans free Taco Bell tacos (or taco’s for our friends on Twitter) three days in a row by scoring at least seven runs per game. For that, we are grateful.