Colorado Rockies morning after: 3 things to like from Rangers series sweep

As schools wind down for the year across the country, it’s final exam time. Here’s your pass-fail question for advancement:

What MLB team this season has matched the longest road losing streak in the Majors over the course of the last 10 years?

If your answer was the Colorado Rockies, based on the team’s well-publicized 4-22 record away from Coors Field thus far in 2021, I have some surprising news for you.

Believe it or not, the Colorado Rockies are not the right answer.

Actually, the correct response would be the Texas Rangers. Texas has a road losing streak of 15 games, albeit the Rockies have played a part in the Rangers achieving their dubious distinction.

So, did you pass the test?

Well, pass or fail, Colorado (23-34) completed a three-game sweep of Texas on Thursday afternoon with an 11-6 victory at Coors Field.

While extending the Rangers’ current losing streak to nine games and extending their road losing futility (matching the 15-game road losing streak of the Miami Marlins in 2019), the Rockies won their sixth consecutive home game (a season high) and fourth straight game overall (matches the season best).

In addition, the Rox have now gone 5-1-1 in their last seven home series since April 20. In compiling a 19-12 home mark, Colorado is 6-3-1 in series at Coors Field this season and has collected three series sweeps on the season (all at home).

In the series finale against Texas (22-36), which is now 9-23 on the road this season, Colorado’s bats came alive unleashing 16 hits—the team’s fifth game of the year with 15 or more hits.

Garrett Hampson, Charlie Blackmon, and Raimel Tapia combined for 10 hits with Hampson notching his second career four-hit game. Blackmon and Tapia chipped in three hits apiece with Tapia scoring three times and Blackmon driving in three runs. Brendan Rogers also knocked in three runs for the Rox.

On the hill, starter Austin Gomber tossed six shutout innings allowing just three hits with no walks while fanning six—his third outing this season with no walks and at least six strikeouts. He turned over a 9-0 lead to the Colorado bullpen, which completed the game although Jordan Sheffield was touched for a two-run home run in the seventh and Yency Almonte stumbled badly in surrendering four runs, including a two-run dinger, in completing the ninth inning.

Nonetheless, there were a lot of good things that happened during the series sweep of the Rangers. We have three of them.