SAN FRANCISCO — Adael Amador and Brett Sullivan each hit a three-run home run Sunday to help the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 13-7.

Amador hit a first-pitch fastball into McCovey Cove in the second inning to take 4-1 lead. It was the 23-year-old’s first home run of the season.

San Francisco’s Rafael Devers blasted a three-run shot — his 25th home run this season — in the second.

Kyle Freeland’s gem in opener, hot bats in rubber match propel Rockies to series win in San Francisco

Zac Veen reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second when Jordan Beck walked before JT Brubaker replaced Sam Hentges with two out in the sixth. Veen scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-7, Amador and Jake McCarthy walked to load the bases and Beck came home with Cole Carrigg was hit by a pitch.

Mickey Moniak followed with a two-run single that made it 10-7.

Hentges (1-5) allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings in the loss.

Sullivan’s homer down the right field line capped the scoring in the seventh.

Rockies starter Gabriel Hughes allowed eight hits and seven runs through four innings.

San Francisco’s Turner Hill singled in a run in the third inning for his first MLB hit.

San Francisco starter Blade Tidwell walked five while he allowed three hits and six runs, across 4 1/3 innings.

Up next

San Francisco LHP Carson Whisenhunt (3-3, 6.11 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Guardians LHP Foster Griffin (13-4, 3.25) to open a three-game series in Cleveland.

The Rockies return home as RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (12-5, 4.43 ERA) takes the mound Monday opposite Dodgers’ LHP Blake Snell (0-1, 5.00).

The Thomas Jefferson graduate and Rockies mainstay has struggled this year, with a 6.27 ERA in 22 starts that ranks among his worst seasons in purple pinstripes. But the southpaw has turned it on in August as his contract year winds down, including another gem this weekend in San Francisco to jumpstart Colorado winning a second straight road series.

Freeland threw eight innings of one-run ball in a 5-2 win on Friday at Oracle Park. After San Francisco won 7-1 on Saturday, the Rockies bounced-back with a see-saw 13-7 victory on Sunday to clinch the series against their fellow National League West cellar-dweller.

“As we come down the stretch here, I’ll have a lot of those thoughts the last (six weeks of the season) of what my time meant here and how I want to finish everything up, and how I want to say my goodbyes to this organization as a whole,” Freeland told The Denver Post last homestand. “Because it’s been a long time and I’ve made a lot of friends, created a lot of family and created a lot of memories here. So it’s going to be bittersweet.

“This isn’t the end of my career. I still plan on playing baseball after this year and we’ll see where that is.”

He has a 1.27 ERA in three August starts, which began with his first career complete game against the Royals at Coors Field on Aug. 2. He entered that game as��one of two pitchers in MLB history with at least 250 starts and no complete games, along with Diamondbacks’ left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez.

Freeland has a conditional player option for 2027 that vests if he pitches 170 innings this season. He’s currently at 120 2/3 innings, with eight scheduled starts remaining. He’d have to average more than six innings per start the rest of the way to vest that option, which is unlikely.

The Rockies’ starting pitching depth is extremely thin, so it’s possible the club entertains bringing Freeland back on a short deal to try and prop up the rotation in 2027. But it’s also possible that Freeland, despite a down year, signs elsewhere. Playing for a contender is on his radar, and wherever he goes, he could project as a back-end starter or even possibly a middle reliever.

“I obviously want to be a starter,” Freeland said. “But if it comes down to a prove-it contract (somewhere else) or that I could potentially be on a contender out of the bullpen — whether it’s this, that, or the other, that would be a decision that myself and my wife (Ashley) would have to make and see what would be the best fit for me.”

Freeland’s next start comes against the Dodgers on Wednesday in LoDo opposite Los Angeles right-hander Roki Sasaki. Freeland has a 5.23 career ERA in 28 starts against the Dodgers, against whom he made his MLB debut on April 7, 2017, with six innings of one-run ball.

Rockies road offense revitalization continues.��The Rockies hammered the Giants pitching on Sunday. In only the fifth time in 233 games at Oracle Park where Colorado has scored 10 or more times, the club’s 13 runs were the third-most runs in franchise history in San Francisco. (The record is 17 in a win on May 5, 2016).

Colorado is averaging 4.33 runs per game on the road in 2026, a significant jump from its 2.81 road scoring average in ’25 that is the largest year-by-year increase in franchise history.

On Sunday, every starter in the lineup got a hit minus Jordan Beck, who walked twice. The Rockies were 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Adael Amador hit a three-run homer in the second inning, and Brett Sullivan hit a three-run homer in the seventh that put the game on ice. Zac Veen also had a highlight when he dashed home from third on a blocked pitch in the four-run sixth, a play that made it 7-7 and tilted the momentum permanently in Colorado’s favor.

“Veen, playing with his energy, was awesome when he took home there,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told Rockies TV. “I had Veen in ’22 in the (Arizona) Fall League, so I’ve seen that many times. I’ve seen him walk and run directly to second base on a passed ball.

“He plays the game differently than other people. Having him and (rookie utilityman) Cole Carrigg on the same team is pretty special. He plays without fear — that’s what that is, and we like that.”

Hunter Goodman shoulder issue.��The Rockies’ all-star catcher did not play in the series in San Francisco due to left shoulder inflammation, which Schaeffer Schaeffer said the injury occurred earlier in the road trip during a swing in the Rockies’ series win over Arizona, and Sullivan caught all three games against the Giants.

Goodman entered Sunday ranked fifth in the majors with 34 homers. He’ll have to remain healthy, and get piping hot over the last six weeks, to make a push for the Rockies’ single-season home run record of 49. That mark was set by Larry Walker in 1997, and then matched by fellow National Baseball Hall of Famer Todd Helton in 2001.

Also of note to track: the NL single-season Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench holds that record at 45 (38 hit as a catcher) in 1970, while the Braves’ Javy Lopez holds the NL record for most homers while playing the position at 42 in 2003.��Goodman has a better shot at breaking Bench’s mark. He’s hit 28 homers this season while playing catcher and 6 as the DH.

Up next.��The Rockies now head home from their season-long 11-day, nine-game road trip to host the two-time defending champion Dodgers followed by the Guardians at Coors Field.

Entering Sunday, Los Angeles remains in command of the NL West but is two games back of the Brewers for the top seed in the league. And Cleveland is one of a bunch of teams hanging around the American League wild card race, as the Guardians are one game back of the second spot.

The Rockies (50-74) need to go 13-25 down the stretch to avoid their fourth consecutive 100-loss season. With the series win in San Francisco, Colorado is also just one game back of the Giants for fourth place in the division. The last time the Rockies didn’t finish last in the NL West was 2021.

“This was huge (to win consecutive road series), especially in-division,” Brett Sullivan told Rockies TV. “We believe in this group, and we’ve shown it this road trip.”

10 of the ’25 Rockies’ gnarliest numbers

The 2025 Rockies put up some ugly statistics on their way to the worst season in franchise history. Here are 10 of the gnarliest:

Minus-424: Run differential, the worst in Major League Baseball’s modern era, and the worst in Rockies history by a wide margin. The 2024 Rockies were outscored by a “mere” 247 runs.

.237: Lowest team batting average. Last year’s club hit .242, which had been the worst.

.679: Team OPS, the lowest in franchise history, eclipsing the ’24 team’s .704 OPS. The six worst OPS numbers in team history have come in the last six seasons.

1.582: The 2025 pitching staff gave up a lot of hits and walks, but its WHIP is only the fourth-worst in team history. The 1999 staff had the highest at 1.705.

3.69: Runs scored per game, the fewest in club history. Four of the five lowest-scoring seasons have come since 2022.

6.65: Starting pitchers’ ERA, the worst, by far, in club history. The 1999 rotation posted a 6.19 ERA.

18: Times the Rockies were shut out this season. The old record for being blanked was 16 times, last done in 2021.

251: Home runs allowed by Rockies pitchers, the second most behind the 2019 staff that served up a record 270 homers.

1,021: Runs scored against, second only to the 1999 club, which saw opponents score 1,028 runs.

1,531: Strikeouts for hitters this season, fourth-most in franchise history. The 2024 club whiffed a team-record 1,607 times.

A dreadful three-year run for Rockies baseball

The 2025 Rockies lost 119 games in 2025. It marks the third consecutive season that the Rockies topped 100 losses — the worst three-season stretch in franchise history. As bad as that three-year run has been, it doesn’t rank among the top 10 worst in Major League Baseball’s modern era (since 1901). Here’s how the 2023-25 Rockies compare.

Rank	Seasons	Team	Record (Win %)
1	1915-17	Philadelphia Athletics	134-324 (.293)
2	1940-42	Philadelphia Phillies	135-323 (.295)
3	1962-64	New York Mets	144-340 (.295)
4	1939-41	Philadelphia Phillies	138-320 (.301)
5	1919-21	Philadelphia Athletics	137-310 (.306)
6	1938-40	Philadelphia Phillies	140-314 (.308)
7	1909-11	Boston Doves/Rustlers (Braves)	142-315 (.311)
8	1937-39	St. Louis Browns (Orioles)	144-316 (.313)
9	1925-27	Boston Red Sox	144-315 (.314)
10	1952-54	Pittsburgh Pirates	145-317 (.314)
	2023-25	Colorado Rockies��	163-323 (.335)

Source: Baseball Reference.

In trouble from the start

The 2025 Colorado Rockies’ starting rotation was statistically one of the worst in baseball’s modern era (since 1901). The following are the top-10 worst rotations, ranked by ERA:

Rank	Team	Season	ERA	Record	Win %	HRs	Avg.
1	Colorado Rockies	2025	6.654	22-93	.191	152	.307
2	Detroit Tigers	1996	6.643	29-80	.266	153	.303
3	St. Louis Browns	1939	6.34	33-93	.262	85	.314
4	Texas Rangers	2003	6.24	47-65	.420	147	.296
5	Colorado Rockies	1999	6.19	49-65	.430	159	.301
6	Philadelphia Phillies	1930	6.15	42-85	.331	107	.336
7	Minnesota Twins	1995	6.11	35-69	.337	135	.294
8	Philadelphia Phillies	1929	6.03	52-66	.441	90	.321
9	St. Louis Browns	1937	6.01	36-93	.279	111	.313
10	Texas Rangers	2001	6.00	51-58	.468	142	.304

Source: Opta Stats/Colorado Rockies/Baseball Reference

Scoreboard tells the story

The 2025 Rockies set the record for the worst run differential in a season during Major League Baseball’s modern era (since 1901).

Year	Team	Run differential
2025	Colorado Rockies	minus-424
1932	Boston Red Sox	minus-349
1915	Philadelphia Athletics	minus-344
2023	Oakland Athletics	minus-399
2003	Detroit Tigers	minus-337
2019	Detroit Tigers	minus-333
1954	Philadelphia Athletics	minus-333
1962	New York Mets	minus-331
1936	Philadelphia Athletics	minus-331
1916	Philadelphia Athletics	minus-329

Source: Baseball Reference

The Top 10 worst teams in modern Major League Baseball history

A look at the 10 worst teams in modern MLB history by number of losses, a list that includes the 2025 Colorado Rockies.

1. ��

Record: 41-121 (.248)

Chicago topped the Mets’ longstanding record, losing 21 straight at one point and posting an ungodly 35% save percentage.

2.

Record: 40-120-1��(.250)

The first-year Mets had a roster of cast-offs from the expansion draft. Seven years later, New York won the World Series.

T-3.

Record: 43-119��(.265)

The Tigers won five of their final six games to avoid passing the Mets. But the rebuild worked, leading to a pennant in 2006.

T-3.

Record: 43-119 (.265)

Colorado had a club-record 13 rookies, set an MLB record for worst run differential and spent $27 million on an injured Kris Bryant.

5.

Record: 36-117-1��(.235)

With the lowest winning percentage of any modern team, all-time winningest manager Connie Mack’s squad hit just 19 homers all year.

T-6.

Record: 47-115��(.290)

The O’s tore down their roster at the trade deadline to launch a rebuild and finished 61 games out of first place in the AL East.

��-6.��

Record: 38-115��(.248)

Babe Ruth played 28 games for the Braves in his final season, batting just .181; Boston had 14-game and 15-game losing streaks.

8.

Record: 47-114 (.292)

The Tigers were an awful offensive club, racking up 1,595 strikeouts with just 149 homers; team was plagued by injuries after a 7-3 start.

9.

Record: 38-113-6 (.252)

Led by two player/managers, first catcher Malachi Kittridge and then outfielder Patsy Donovan, the Senators were shut out 27 times.

T-10.

Record: 50-112 (.309)

In the A’s worst season since moving to Oakland in 1968, the team had the lowest batting average (.223) and fewest runs (585) in MLB.

T-10.

Record: 50-112-2 (.309)

Slightly better than the ’62 team, the Mets lost 43 games after leading, were shut out 22 times, and had a .259 road win percentage.

T-10.

��𳦴ǰ���:��42-112-1��(.273)

The Pirates were a career low for Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey. They started and finished poorly; lost 35 games by five-plus runs.

Top 10 most embarrassing losses of the Rockies’ worst season ever

The Rockies set the modern record for worst run differential. Here’s a look at their 10 most embarrassing losses of 2025.

Padres 21, Rockies 0

Date: May 10 at Coors Field

The carnage: In the season’s worst loss, San Diego blasted Colorado starter Bradley Blalock for 12 runs in three-plus innings, including a five-run opening frame. Colorado mustered five hits to the Padres’ 24, and San Diego hit five homers as the Rockies became the sixth team in the modern era to lose by 21 or more runs in a shutout. The next day, the Rockies fired manager Bud Black.

They said it: “You never want to be in that position as a team, unless you’re winning,” catcher Jacob Stallings said.

Date: July 26 at Camden Yards

The carnage: In Baltimore’s largest shutout win in franchise history, the Rockies were already down 8-0 when the Orioles reeled off nine runs in the seventh. Colorado only had two hits while Baltimore had 18. Zach Agnos and Nick Anderson were both shelled in the seventh as Baltimore batted around in the frame, and then some. The Rockies got just one runner into scoring position.

They said it: “It����ap kind of one of those nights. I feel like everybody for the most part put good swings on the ball,” interim Baltimore manager Tony Mansolino said.

Blue Jays 20, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Aug. 6 at Coors Field

The carnage:��In a showdown between Colorado products Kevin Gausman (Grandview) and Kyle Freeland (Thomas Jefferson), the Rockies went up 1-0 in the first on Ezequiel Tovar’s RBI double. It was all Blue Jays from there as they racked up 24 hits and posted eight runs in the ninth. It capped a one-sided sweep in which Toronto set a modern MLB record with 63 hits in a three-game series.

They said it:��“Pretty absurd,” Gausman said of Toronto’s hit total in the series.

Blue Jays 15, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Aug. 4 at Coors Field

The carnage:��In the opener of that historically lopsided series, Bo Bichette summoned his Blake Street Bombers bloodline with two homers and six RBIs. It was 9-0 by the time the Rockies got their run in the fifth, and eight of Toronto’s nine starters had multiple hits. Colorado starter Tanner Gordon was pummeled for seven runs through two plus innings; the bullpen didn’t fare much better.

They said it:��“I just tried to make quality pitches, but they put the ball in play,” Gordon said. “… I’m sure that the bullpen doesn’t like me right now.”

Brewers 17, Rockies 2

�ٲ��ٱ�:��April 9 at Coors Field

The carnage:��In a defeat that was an omen for the rest of the season, the Rockies didn’t stand a chance against Milwaukee. The Brewers rocked Antonio Senzatela early, then Seth Halvorsen late, and Colorado made four errors, including errors by Gold Glovers Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle in the same game for the first time.

They said it: “They hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Senzatela said. “Huge mistakes by me. I have to keep the ball down.”

Braves 12, Rockies 4

�ٲ��ٱ�:��June 13 at Truist Park

The carnage:��The Rockies had a 4-1 lead entering the sixth inning, but the bullpen unraveled. Jake Bird and Victor Vodnik were both pegged for three runs apiece; Ryan Rolison allowed five runs. Colorado made four errors, tying a season high. The team was 4 for 14 with RISP as part of a season-long trend. The next day, the Rockies set a season-high with 19 strikeouts.

They said it:��“We’ve got to get the job done — execution-wise — when runners are aboard,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Yankees 13, Rockies 1

Date: May 24 at Coors Field

The carnage:��The game was tied 1-1, then the wheels fell off. In a 10-run fifth inning — the most runs allowed in a frame by the Rockies all year — the Yankees blew it open in front of a heavy pro-New York crowd. A Kyle Freeland throwing error jump-started the big inning, which also featured a weird play where second baseman Adael Amador’s glove flew off in the direction of a line drive.

They said it:��“Life is like baseball. You can have a really good game and then follow it up with a really bad one,” Amador said. “It����ap a normal feeling, but not a great one.”

Tigers 11, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��May 8 at Coors Field

The carnage:��After Detroit rolled to a 10-2 win in the first game of a doubleheader, the Tigers stomped Colorado in the second game, too. The minus-18 run differential tied a franchise record for the largest negative run differential in a doubleheader sweep in franchise history. Colorado didn’t have an extra-base hit in Game 2, made two errors and reliever Tyler Kinley got lit up.

They said it:��“We’re playing a bad brand of baseball, all the way around,” Kyle Freeland said after Game 1 of the doubleheader. “Pitching, fielding, hitting. It����ap bad.”

Mets 13, Rockies 5

�ٲ��ٱ�:��June 8 at Coors Field

The carnage:��The Mets put on a home run clinic in LoDo, mashing six homers, including a pair off prized rookie right-hander Chase Dollander. It was a performance that underscored Dollander’s inconsistent season — especially at Coors. The six long balls given up were tied for the second-most at home in franchise history.

They said it:��“To be honest with you, I’m not really doing my job right now,” Dollander said.

Dodgers 9, Rockies 0

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Sept. 10 at Dodger Stadium

The carnage: The Rockies managed just eight hits over the three-game series in L.A., including nearly getting no-hit in the opener. The Dodgers won the season series 11-2, and in the Sept. 10 thumping, Colorado notched only two hits and struck out 17 times as Blake Snell dominated.

They said it:��“The changeup got us from Snell,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Spin got us last night, and spin got us the night before that. So, overall, it was a tough series for us.”

5 weird moments from Rockies’ bizarre lost season

The Rockies’ 2025 season wasn’t just about the mounting number of losses; it was about weird moments, games, innings, and trends. Here are five of them:

Slip of the glove

Date: May 24

Synopsis: The Yankees bludgeoned the Rockies, 13-1, on a Saturday afternoon at Coors Field. In the Yanks’ 10-run fifth inning, Rockies second baseman Adael Amador threw his glove at Paul Goldschmidt’s line-drive, run-scoring single to right field. Amador’s glove didn’t come close to hitting the ball, but if it had, Goldschmidt would have been awarded three bases.

They said it: “I didn’t have the glove tight on my hand. When I jumped up, the glove slipped off.” — Adael Amador

Purple pain

Date: June 25

Synopsis: Rookie right-hander Chase Dollander blanked the Dodgers for five innings at Coors, but in the top of the sixth, lightning crashed and the sky opened up. With two on and two out, Max Muncy hit a sky-high pop-up to the right side of the infield, where Colorado second baseman Thairo Estrada was ready to make the play. But Estrada lost the ball amid the rain and lights and covered his head. First baseman Michael Toglia covered his head, too, and was startled when the ball landed a few feet from him. Dalton Rushin and Shohei Ohtani scored easily, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. After a lengthy rain delay, the Dodgers cruised to an 8-1 victory.

They said it: “You can’t control Mother Nature, you can’t control a bunch of things.” — Chase Dollander

Wild night in LoDo

Date: Aug. 1

Synopsis: The Pirates scored nine runs in their first at-bat and led 16-10 after six innings, but the Rockies roared back with five runs in the ninth, winning the 3-hour, 37-minute score-a-thon on Brenton Doyle’s two-run homer. Colorado’s 17-16 victory at Coors marked just the 13th time in baseball’s modern era (since 1901) that a team allowed 16 runs and won. The Rockies also did it on July 4, 2008, beating the Marlins 18-17 at Coors.

They said it: “That����ap got to be the most incredible game I’ve ever been involved in, hands down, with all the stuff that went into it.” — Manager Warren Schaeffer

Catcher in the raw

Date: Aug. 6

Synopsis: With the Blue Jays leading 12-1 entering the ninth, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer waved the white flag, sending catcher Austin Nola to the mound. Four consecutive doubles, two homers and eight runs later, the Blue Jays had a 20-1 lead. The Blue Jays swept the three-game series, outscoring the Rockies 45-6 and hitting 13 homers. Colorado pitchers gave up 63 hits — the most ever compiled in baseball history over a three-game series. Austin Nola, whose brother is Philadelphia pitcher Aaron Nola, played the role of the good soldier.

They said it: “I’m sure I’m gonna get a text from Aaron. I’ll just blame it on (the hitter-friendly altitude of) Colorado or something.” — Austin Nola

Subject to ejection

Date: Sept. 2

Synopsis: Two batters and eight pitches into the game, Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland served up a towering, two-run homer to the Giants’ Rafael Devers. After Devers dramatically flipped his bat and began a slow-motion trot, Freeland screamed some choice words, telling Devers to quit showboating. What started as a war of words quickly evolved into a bench-clearing fracas. Freeland was ejected, San Francisco third baseman Matt Chapman was suspended one game for shoving Freeland, and the Giants’ Willy Adames and Devers were fined. The Giants won, 7-4, handing the Rockies their 100th loss of the season.

They said it: “Extremely disrespectful to show me up like that in the first inning after hitting a home run. Standing there, watching it, taking your sweet time getting down to first base.” — Kyle Freeland.

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

If Nolan Arenado doesn’t win a playoff game with the Cardinals, what cap does he wear when he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame?

— Norm Cruz, Albuquerque��

Norm, you’re assuming Arenado ends up in Cooperstown. I’d vote for him in a heartbeat, but the voters are a finicky bunch. We’ll see.

Anyway, your question is difficult for me to answer because I’m not nearly as tight with Arenado as I used to be. However, I think he’d pick the Rockies because he grew up in the organization and spent his first eight big-league seasons in Colorado. Despite how his time here ended, he really did love playing in Denver — until the last two years.

Plus, his numbers were better in Colorado (.293 average, 235 home runs, 39.7 WAR) vs. St. Louis (.266 average, 116 home runs, 17.8 WAR).

I tossed your question to for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Here’s what he told me:

“The Rockies make the most sense to me. He was the best all-around player in the National League for a good stretch, and that was mainly with the Rockies (though he was great with the Cardinals in 2022). Nolan played more games in Colorado and had more euphoric moments there.”

Why don’t the Rockies play Brenton Doyle more often? He’s one of their best hitters and he’s been great since the All-Star break, yet they appear to be reducing him to part-time status.

— John Kelly, Fort Worth

John, I’m not sure when you sent in your question, but I’m guessing it was around July 25-26, when Doyle was often on the bench. Since then, the gifted center fielder has been playing regularly and has started 10 of Colorado’s last 11 games (through Monday).

Interim manager Warren Schaeffer gave Doyle time off to work on his swing mechanics and was sitting him for a while vs. right-handed starters. But Doyle appears to have finally turned his season around. Over this last 10 games (entering Tuesday), he was slashing .382/.417/.676 with three homers, one double and eight RBIs.

However, Doyle’s splits are still pretty extreme. He’s hitting .198 vs. right-handers and .333 vs. lefties.

Who will be Rockies managerial candidates? Any chance someone like former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina or someone from outside the organization might be considered?

— Jeffrey, Illinois

Jeffery, as I mentioned in my Sunday Rockies Journal, there are those in the organization who believe that interim manager Warren Schaeffer deserves a shot at managing next year.�� His future will likely depend on changes to the Rockies’ front office.

Regarding Molina, I doubt he would be considered by Colorado, mainly because he hasn’t managed before. A new general manager or president of baseball operations would almost surely go outside the organization for a new manager. I could throw names around, such as former Cubs and Angels manager Joe Maddon, but that could be pure speculation. I honestly don’t know who the candidates might be.

The position players that the front office has raved about seem “Show” ready and impressive in most cases, but the pitching has often been borderline embarrassing. What is the plan moving forward? Continue to draft, trade, and hope, which hasn’t worked out … yet?

— Peter, Philadelphia

Peter, trying to find quality pitching is, and always has been, the Rockies’ multi-million-dollar question mark. That said, the pitching is in an awful place right now, though rookie Chase Dollander’s performance Monday night at St. Louis was heartening. Entering Tuesday night’s game, the Rockies’ starting pitchers had a combined ERA of 6.58, far and away the highest in the majors. The bullpen’s 5.50 ERA was the second-highest, behind the Nationals (5.86). It’s partly about young pitchers trying to find their way and partly a lack of talent.

As I’m sure you’re aware, top-tier free-agent pitchers are not going to come to Colorado to pitch at Coors Field. So the only thing the Rockies can do is draft and develop better and make a few shrewd signings of second-tier pitchers. When it comes to pitching at altitude, there is no easy fix.

The Rockies found a winning formula in 2017-18 when they built a strong rotation on home-grown players like Kyle Freeland and German Marquez, though Marquez was acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay when he was still in the low minors. Then the Rockies traded for, or signed, several quality relievers. Plus, manager Bud Black worked well with the young pitchers.

Has Dick Monfort watched — “The Opposite?”

George: “Every decision I’ve ever made in my entire life has been wrong.”

Jerry: “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”

With seven straight losing seasons and barreling toward the worst run differential of all time, I think it’s time for Dick to do the EXACT opposite of whatever his instinct tells him to do. Do you think he’d be open to this strategy of running the Rockies?

— Daniel Young, Denver

Daniel, that’s one of my favorite “Seinfeld” episodes, so I’ll include this in the Rockies Mailbag as a community service. But there are no guarantees that Mr. Monfort will read your suggestion.

Do you expect Tyler Freeman to play every day down the stretch, or will Braxton Fulford and Yanquiel Fernandez continue to take some of his time in OF/DH? Any chance he mixes in at second base?

— Bjorn Masterson, Stockholm

Bjorn, interim manager Warren Schaeffer loves Freeman and his style of play, particularly at the top of the order. I predict that Freeman will continue to play almost every day. Schaeffer wants to win as many games as he can, though he also understands that the young players need to get their at-bats. With Adael Amador back up and Ryan Ritter back soon (he just started his Triple-A rehab assignment), I don’t think there’s any room or need for Freeman at second base.

By a lot.

Kevin Gausman (Grandview High School, class of 2010) pitched seven strong innings to outlast Kyle Freeland (Thomas Jefferson High, 2011), and the Rockies’ bullpen limped to a 20-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, capping off a historically lopsided sweep at Coors Field.

“We could’ve made a couple plays. Defense, you know, was kind of not up to our standards,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said afterward. “No, I’m joking.”

Toronto outscored its hosts a combined 45-6 in the series, leaving the Rockies (30-84) on a four-game skid as they prepare for a six-game road trip through Arizona and St. Louis. They gave up 13 Toronto home runs in the series and 63��hits — the most ever compiled in baseball history over the course of a three-game series.

“Pretty absurd,” Gausman said.

“It’s one game. It’s one series,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We played a really good series against the Pirates. Don’t forget about that. It was, like, three days ago. It just doesn’t flip negatively like that. Sometimes you go through a three-game set where it’s no good, and that’s what we did.”

Colorado’s previous franchise record for most hits allowed in a three-game set was 54. The Blue Jays soared past that with four consecutive doubles to lead off the ninth inning. Eight runs later, they had taken a red pen to the history books with a round of batting practice against catcher Austin Nola, who last pitched in high school and whose closest relation to professional pitching is his brother in Philadelphia, Aaron Nola.

“I’m sure I’m gonna get a text from him,” Austin said, lamenting his new career ERA of 72.00. “I’ll just blame it on (the hitter-friendly altitude of) Colorado or something.”

Schaeffer had no issue with the visitors teeing off in a game that was already out of reach.

“We put ourselves in a position for a 12-1 game and days on days of using bullpen guys,” he said. “Shoot, the Blue Jays earned that. They earned that, to do what they wanted to do.”

As for baseball history, the previous hits record for a three-game series occurred in June of 1950 between the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox.

The Rockies are now allowing 10.8 runs per game in their last 11 and 13.2 runs in August so far (five games).

in Cleveland, Freeland appeared to be in a better physical state as he took the mound Wednesday. Nonetheless, Schaeffer arrived at the ballpark anticipating he would need to monitor the lefty on a hot and sunny afternoon.

“I don’t think he was quite over the sickness. It was continuing to take a toll,” Schaeffer said. “That’s not an excuse. That’s just saying how it is. But I thought he competed well.”

Freeland almost made it through five respectable innings against his fellow Denver-area native, but he succumbed to a pair of two-out rallies. Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to get things started innocuously in Toronto’s third. Then Bo Bichette followed with an opposite-field blast for his third homer of the series.

Again in the fifth, Freeland got the first two outs only to surrender a two-run triple to Nathan Lukes. That was all for the Rockies veteran, who was tagged with a sixth earned run after Schaeffer removed him. It oddly mirrored a 2021 matchup at Coors Field between the two locals, when Gausman went seven innings and Freeland gave up seven runs in a 10-5 Giants win.

That was the year Gausman entered baseball’s elite class of aces, making his first All-Star Game, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting and paving his way to a free-agent contract north of $100 million. He joined the Blue Jays that offseason and has been a steady hand for them ever since.

His latest homecoming began ominously, but he quickly denied the Rockies their brief glimpse at victory.��Ezequiel Tovar doubled in a first-inning run to give them a lead, then Gausman limited them to only one hit over his last six innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two.

“Unfortunately, there’s not many guys from Denver specifically. … Any time we face each other, it’s kind of fun,” Gausman said. “We were talking about it yesterday. We definitely respect the crap out of each other and kind of realize how hard it is to play baseball here.”

Estrada, Arcia injury updates: The Rockies placed second baseman Thairo Estrada on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right hamstring strain, marking his third IL stint this year. The team called up Adael Amador from Triple-A Albuquerque to start in Estrada’s place after he landed awkwardly on the first-base bag trying to beat out a double play on Tuesday.

Schaeffer said Estrada will undergo an MRI, as will infielder Orlando Arcia, who also left Tuesday’s game with an injury. Arcia didn’t play in the series finale, but the team’s hope is that his elbow injury is less severe.

Colorado blanked the Cardinals, 6-0, on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field in the team’s first shutout since May 15, 2024, when the Rockies beat the Padres, 8-0, in San Diego. The 220-game drought was the longest of baseball’s modern era, supplanting a 199-game run without a shutout by the St. Louis Browns in 1939.

Wednesday also marked Colorado’s first shutout at home since July 30, 2023, vs. Oakland in a 2-0 victory.

Starter Tanner Gordon, called up from Triple-A Albuquerque, pitched six scoreless innings, and relievers Jimmy Herget and Tyler Kinley finished the job.

“That’s a long time, 220 games,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said after Colorado improved to 4-2 since the All-Star break. “But I’m glad we shut them out today.”

And those weren’t your father’s Blake Street Bombers at the plate. More like your grandfather’s “Go Go Rox.”

Whatever the moniker, the Rockies (26-76) played the brand of baseball that Schaeffer has been preaching for two-plus months. In beating the Cardinals to capture the three-game series, the Rockies had 12 hits, all of them singles save for Jordan Beck’s RBI double in the fifth and Ezequiel Tovar’s solo homer to right in the eighth.

Colorado won just its fourth series of the season and won its first rubber game after going 0 for 4 entering Wednesday.

Gordon, called up as right-hander German Marquez (biceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day injured list, was not overpowering. But he kept St. Louis hitters off-balance, limiting them to just four hits. He struck out three, walked three and threw 65 of 95 pitches for strikes. After four big-league starts this season, Gordon is 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA.

He had two walks in the first inning, something he attributed to big-league adrenaline.

“I kind of settled in and played the game like I know how to play,” Gordon said. “Obviously, everyone wants to stay up here, so I was going through my routine in Triple-A, kind of treating it like the big leagues.”

Schaeffer was impressed.

“Gordon did a fantastic job through six innings,” Schaeffer said. “He had a good mix — changeup, slider, fastball.”

Colorado scored four runs in the second inning off St. Louis right-hander Andre Pallante. A leadoff walk by Ryan McMahon was followed up by five consecutive singles by Austin Nola, Kyle Farmer, Adael Amador, Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak.

After a day off on Thursday, the Rockies open a six-game road trip at Baltimore on Friday. Schaeffer wants to see his team continue stringing at-bats together away from Coors Field.

“I think that always plays in every ballpark,” he said.

The Cardinals, aggressive on the bases, productive in the clutch, and solid on the mound, cruised to a 6-2 win at Coors Field. They drilled Colorado pitching for 15 hits and were 7 for 18 with runners in scoring position.

The Rockies were limited to eight hits and were 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

Colorado reached the season’s century mark with a 24-76 record, becoming the first team since the 1935 Boston Braves (25-75) to lose at least 75 of their first 100 decisions.

St. Louis right-hander Michael McGreevy was recalled from Triple-A Memphis for Monday’s start. Pitching for just the second time at Coors, he didn’t overpower the Rockies, striking out just one. And although he gave up seven hits over a season-high seven innings, he walked none and never let the game spin out of control.

“You have to tip your hat to him, I thought he pitched really well,” Schaeffer said. “He changed speeds, he worked in and out.”

Rockies lefty Austin Gomber wasn’t nearly as effective, giving up five runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out a season-high six and walked none. His ERA sits at 6.03 after seven starts. At Coors Field, his ERA is 7.52.

“I thought I had really good stuff, probably the best stuff I’ve had all year,” Gomber said. “My breaking ball had good break, but I was just throwing the wrong pitch at the wrong time, too many times. It’s kind of the story of what I feel like I’ve been doing all year. Just getting beat in spots with a pitch I probably shouldn’t throw.”

Colorado took a short-lived 2-0 lead in the third. Second baseman Adael Amador, playing for the injured Thairo Estrada, led off with a single to left. Mickey Moniak followed with a single to center fielder Victor Scott II, who booted the ball for an error, allowing Amador to score and Moniak to take second. Hunter Goodman drove in Moniak with a single.

Moniak hit 2 for 4 and extended his on-base streak to 14 games, the second-longest streak of his career. He’s slashing .435/.469/.783 during the streak.

But after the third inning, the Rockies’ offense went dry.

St. Louis tied the game in the fourth. Wilson Contreras’ 443-foot leadoff homer off Gomber started it off. Back-to-back doubles by Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn made it a 2-2 ballgame. Arenado, the former Rockies star, was 2 for 4 with a walk and a strikeout.

St. Louis took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a one-out double by Brendan Donovan and a first-pitch RBI single by Contreras. With first base open, Gomber said he should have walked Contreras.

The Cardinals nickled and dimed Gomber for two more runs in the sixth, extending the lead to 5-2. Arenado led off with a sharp single to left and then, unexpectedly, stole second. Jordan Walker beat an infield roller to third baseman Ryan McMahon, moving Arenado to third. Pedro Pages’ lazy single to right field scored Arenado. Donovan’s sacrifice fly to center scored Walker.

The Cardinals’ lead grew to 6-2 in the seventh on Walker’s RBI, bases-loaded single off reliever Juan Mejia.

Keeler: On 20th & Bleak, we laugh to keep from crying. Staring at the Rockies for too long is like staring into the sun — brother, it burns. The Local 9 has two All-Stars, although only one will actually make the team. Love ya, Jake Bird, but the nod goes to catcher Hunter Goodman, who as of Monday morning topped all National League backstops in hits, home runs, RBIs and … The 25-year-old Memphis Masher is the rarest of breeds in LoDo these days: A Rockies player you’d happily pay to watch.

Renck: Goodman has been the Rockies’ best player. Drew Goodman might be their most valuable, having to broadcast every game. Settling in as the everyday catcher, Goodman leads the Rockies in home runs (10) and RBIs (37). He has thumped right-handed pitching (19 extra-base hits) and earned his stats the hard way with eight of his dingers coming on the road. Jordan Beck is the only other player in the conversation, and he was already sent to Triple-A once this season. The reason Goodman really isn’t an All-Star? He is not a good defender, his erratic throwing has led to six errors. As for disappointments, how much time do you have?

Keeler: Not enough for this dumpster fire. On a team of Falling Stars, the real challenge is settling on just one. The Rockies’ “plan” was to build a lineup, a foundation, around Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and Brenton Doyle in center field. Two problems arose, though: Tovar’s body is breaking down, and Doyle’s bat is made of Swiss cheese. Doyle’s easily the most disappointing regular. He’s what I like to call a Bill Schmidt Special: A player with three really strong tools (fielding, arm strength, speed) that are perfect for Coors Field, combined with two that are so terrible (hitting for average, hitting for power) that they absolutely bury the upside. All that good, young pitching from Rocktober 2018 is no longer young and no longer good.

Renck: Kris Bryant has been first-team Falling Star since the moment he signed. But everyone with eyes knew he was done. Doyle was supposed to be good. He has been a mess offensively, dropped from leadoff to fifth in the order. He is hitting .159 over the last month with five extra-base hits. Not even his Gold Glove defense has prevented him from posting a minus-1.0 WAR. First baseman Michael Toglia was mercifully demoted to the minors after leading the league in strikeouts, but there were suspicions about his 2024 breakout season. And Adael Amador is back with the Isotopes after posting a .146 average in 89 at-bats. His age (22) is used as an excuse. But in multiple stints with the Rockies, his lack of power makes him look a lot closer to a utility player than an everyday starter.

Keeler: With Amador, at least we’ll always have that flying glove moment against the Yankees. Me? I’m still waiting for that air-tight defense Schmidt and Dick Monfort promised. According to Statcast, and 19th in runs prevented. Per the Fielding Bible, If you build it, they will numb.

At 40, on his fifth team, he is not interested in being a mentor. And this ties back locally to Shedeur Sanders.

Flacco is favored to start for the Cleveland Browns, where he went from the couch to the playoffs in 2023.

But this is Cleveland. Rhymes with dysfunction. So nothing about Flacco’s return smacks of a feel-good story. Not with three other quarterbacks on the depth chart — Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders — and a fourth hurt (Deshaun Watson) that the franchise never wants to take a snap again.

So, Flacco was asked this week about helping the kids. Since his last season in Baltimore and definitely in his first and only season in Denver in 2019, he has been in the #no(bleeps)given portion of his career.

He torched the Broncos in his last press conference, wondering aloud if the coaching staff was even interested in scoring on a final drive before losing to the Colts.

His candor remains refreshing. Especially about leading. He sees it as eyewash.

“If I say, ‘I don’t want to be a mentor,’ I look bad. If I say, ‘I do want to be a mentor,’ I look like an idiot who doesn’t care about being good,” Flacco said. “And in a quarterback room, there have been a ton of times where there have been learning experiences, and I have a lot of experience. I can talk on things. And hopefully, they listen. But it����ap not necessarily my job to make sure they listen to me.”

Based on talent, Sanders should push to start by midseason. Pickett is a failed prospect, and when asked about Gabriel after he was selected in the third round, former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum blurted, “He has a future in the NFL — as a coach.” But Sanders must overcome his fifth-round status and fewer reps.

There are no shortcuts. He needs to put in the work and put his head down when not learning from Flacco. Yes, watching Flacco can help. Pay attention to how he studies film, his pre- and post-practice routine. Take it all in. Even if there are minimal words involved.

It is not Flacco’s duty to train his replacement. If Sanders wants the job — he is the fan favorite — he has to take it.

Rockie Road: The Rockies continue losing at a record pace and making decisions that make little sense. With their Triple-A shortstop Ryan Ritter posting back-to-back player of the week honors, they signed veteran Orlando Arcia to replace struggling prospect Adael Amador. They did the same thing when Ezequiel Tovar was hurt, adding Alan Trejo before cutting him when Tovar returned. Why not play Ritter at second? Or move Ryan McMahon to first, put Ritter at third and demote human windmill Michael Toglia to the minors? The Rockies want you to believe in their young players. But they have few who are any good, and when one pops, they elect not to give him a chance. Another reason their record defines their process.

Coach speak: David Adelman made a strong impression in his introductory news conference. He insists the players will continue to respond to his principles of collaboration and meritocracy when he reminds them of back-to-back second-round playoff exits. His explanation is believable, but the Nuggets have reached prove-it mode with an aging roster and suspicious bench.

Final thought: Watching the college baseball regionals rekindles frustration that CU doesn’t have a team. There are plenty of players in state, and, while the lack of funding is known, it remains hard to believe Utah has baseball and the Buffs don’t.

The struggling club made several roster moves Friday, including reinstating second baseman Thairo Estrada from the 60-day injured list and designating veteran outfielder Nick Martini for assignment.

Estrada, 29, is expected to start Friday night’s game against the Mets at Citi Field. Colorado enters the game with a 9-47 record and is on pace for the worst record in baseball’s modern era.

During the offseason, Estrada signed a one-year contract that guarantees him $4 million and has a mutual option for 2026. He was supposed to be Colorado’s starting second baseman, but suffered a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in spring training by the Rangers’ ��Kumar Rocker.

Martini’s spot on the roster will be filled by outfielder Sam Hilliard, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado also optioned infielder Adael Amador to Albuquerque.

Martini, 34, signed a minor league deal in the offseason and made the team based on a strong spring training, but he slashed just .225/.288/.294.

Hilliard, 31, is back with the Rockies for his sixth season. Hilliard had a poor spring training with too many strikeouts and was removed from the 40-man roster, but chose to stick with the Rockies and accepted an outright assignment.

The left-handed hitter has had a decent season at Triple-A, slashing .288/.372/.538 with six home runs, but his strikeout rate was 26.1%. Hillard’s career strikeout rate in 875 big-league plate appearances is 34.1%.

Amador, 22, made his major league debut last season and struggled at the plate and in the field as he made the conversion from shortstop to second base. He made strides in the field this season at second base, but he’s still overmatched by big-league pitching. In 33 games (102 plate appearances), he hit .146 with one home run and just five RBIs from the bottom of the order.

Veen sent to ACL. Outfield prospect Zac Veen has been sent down to the Arizona Complex League to rehab a sore ankle and work on his swing at the Rockies’ performance lab at its Salt River Fields complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Veen made his big-league debut earlier this season but played in just 12 games and struggled mightily in 37 plate appearances, slashing .118/.189./.235 with one home run. His strikeout rate was 37.8% and his walk rate was just 5.4%.