It’s the catchy slogan that the Rockies conjured up for their rebuild. The trek figures to be long and steep, but just how long and how steep depends on the route that Paul DePodesta, Josh Byrnes and company take.

The next few months will be telling. DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, and Byrnes, the general manager, must decide who to trade and who to hold onto before the Aug. 3 deadline. They must also decide which prospects to promote, and when.

It’s quite a to-do list.

Let’s start with the trade deadline, something the Rockies have often been reticent to maneuver in the past. DePodesta said trade talks right now are “preliminary.”

“We haven’t canvassed the league or anything like that, but we are starting to have some conversations if there is a potential match,” he said Sunday before the Rockies hosted the Brewers.

Jeff Passan, ESPN’s national baseball writer, that the Rockies “… are years away from contending, and nobody on their roster is untouchable.”

Asked about Passan’s take, DePodesta said, “There would be certain guys that would be really, really hard for us to move. I think that’s probably true of any team. There are guys that we feel are hopefully foundational players for us going forward.

“At the same time, we need to be opportunistic. We are not where we want to be. So, if there are opportunities for us to get better, certainly both in the short-term and the long-term, I think we need to look at that. I think it’s our responsibility to do that. But there are a lot of guys that we’re not actively shopping.”

Leading the list of “foundational players” would be All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and 2024 Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The Rockies would also have to think long and hard about trading top prospects like Charlie Condon and Zac Veen.

The Rockies’ top trading chip is reborn reliever Antonio Senzatela. He’ll be a free agent after this season, and he’s the kind of pitcher contending teams can use. Despite his meltdown in Colorado’s extra-inning loss to Milwaukee Friday night, the erstwhile starter has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season. He had a 1.98 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a .195 average against heading into Sunday. The Rockies will likely be looking for starting pitching prospects in a trade for “Senza.”

Outfielder Mickey Moniak, currently on the injured list with tendinitis in his right ankle, will draw interest, too. He’s having an All-Star-type season — .280/.335/.607 (.942 OPS), 12 homers — and he’s a team-first player. His checkered career shows that he can be streaky, but he can also be a sparkplug.

Caution signs for interested teams include Moniak’s home-road splits — .306 average, nine homers at Coors Field vs. .246 average and three homers on the road — and the fact that he has one more year of arbitration left on his contract. He’s making $4 million this season.

The other players who might draw interest include veteran utility player Willi Castro, outfielders Jake McCarthy and Troy Johnston, right-handed starter Tomoyuki Sugano, left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino, and right-handed reliever Jaden Hill.

The Rockies’ offseason trade of right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli for first baseman TJ Rumfield showed that the new front office is willing to trade talented relievers.

The Rockies’ brass has much to debate.

For example, Sugano has been the most consistent starter (5-5, 3.98 ERA over 12 starts), and he’s pitching on a one-year, $5.1 million deal. But given the shaky state of the rotation, should the Rockies move him, try to skate by with fill-in starters who aren’t ready, and risk becoming the kind of no-hope team they were last season?

Or, consider McCarthy’s situation. He’s thriving at the top of the order, can roam center field, and his speed is an asset the Rockies need. Plus, he is under team control for two more years of arbitration and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.

The quandary facing the Rockies is that center fielder Brenton Doyle (currently on the IL with an oblique injury) has regressed from his 2024 season, and there are now questions about whether he’ll ever become a plus player. So, can the Rockies afford to trade McCarthy?

It depends on how much confidence the Rockies have in their prospect. Waiting to get his big-league chance is outfielder Cole Carrigg, who has the athleticism to play center field. The question facing DePodesta and Byrnes is when to call up Carrigg.

Fans, of course, want to see Carrigg sooner rather than later. The same goes for Veen and Condon. Fans see scorching numbers at Triple-A Albuquerque and clamor for promotions.

DePodesta, however, has made it clear he won’t rush players up before he thinks they’re ready. For instance, he doesn’t expect Condon to be an immediate star in the big leagues. DePodesta understands that Condon will face some tough times in the majors, but he wants Condon to be able to handle that failure and continue improving. He doesn’t want players buried by failure.

Most of all, DePodesta and his crew take a deep dive into factors other than the statistics and hot streaks that excite fans. DePodesta points to outfielder Sterlin Thompson, who made his debut on May 15.

“What really changed was the process of his at-bats,” DePodesta said. “He had very good numbers last season in Triple-A (.296 average, .911 OPS, 18 homers, 28 doubles), but his underlying numbers weren’t quite as strong. And then about mid-April of this year, he just really locked in … And I think the process of his at-bats was as good as anybody at Triple-A. That gave us conviction that he was ready to come up here and face the next challenge.”

Plus, during the Rockies’ disastrous 119-loss 2025 season, we saw what can happen when players are called up too soon. It can be disastrous. Veen’s struggles — on and off the field — are proof of that.

The Rockies have indeed begun their climb back toward respectability, but they remain a long way from being a contender. The steps DePodesta and Co. take over the next few months will be critical.

Sitting in the dugout at Coors Field, the 35-year-old pitcher asked why, after all of his fame and success in his native Japan, he was pitching in the majors, 5,800 miles from home.

“I was in the latter part of my career in Japan, and I just didn’t want to have any regrets, looking back at my career,” he said, using Yuto Sakurai as his interpreter. “It was one of the things I wanted to accomplish.”

American baseball fans might know the basics about the man dubbed “Tommy Sugar.” For instance, he won two back-to-back Sawamura Awards in 2017-18, equivalent of the Cy Young Award.

In the World Baseball Classic in 2017, he was Japan’s ace. In the Sugano dominated Team USA, pitching six innings and allowing just one unearned run on three hits. Although Japan lost, 2-1, he struck out six — fanning Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado three times and Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Adam Jones once each.

Rockies fans have seen Sugano, who signed a one-year, $5.1 million contract, become the club’s most consistent starting pitcher. After tossing 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball in Colorado’s 3-2 win at Arizona on Friday night, he’s 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA over 10 starts.

In 2025, Sugano went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in 30 starts with Baltimore after signing a one-year, $13 million deal.

But his short stint in America doesn’t begin to paint a picture of how big a star the right-hander was for 12 seasons with the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants.

“He was the best pitcher in Japan for a decade,” said Ryan Spilborghs, currently a Rockies TV analyst, who played seven seasons with the Rockies and spent the 2013 season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League.

“It’s the equivalent of someone like Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, or Justin Verlander going to Japan after their elite run in the majors,” Spilborghs added.

But Sugano wasn’t just an ace in baseball-crazy Japan; he was baseball royalty.

He was 5 years old when he sat among the sold-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome to watch his uncle, in October 1995. Hara, a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, was one of the elite power hitters of the 1980s. In his final game, Hara blasted his 382nd and final home run.

Hara played 15 seasons for Yomiuri from 1981-95, and won three Japan Series titles (1981, 1989, and 94).

Following his playing career, Hara became the Yomiuri Giants’ manager and managed his nephew in two separate stints (2014-15 and 2019-23). And Sugano’s baseball bloodlines run ever deeper. His grandfather, Mitsugu Hara, was a standout high school and college coach, and Sugano’s father, Takashi Sugano, pitched in college.

“Tatsunori, Tomoyuki’s uncle, was like the crown prince of baseball in Japan,” said Margaret Narumi, a television producer who worked out of Los Angeles-based NHK Cosmomedia America for 29 years, bringing Major League Baseball games to Japan.

“Not only was Tatsunori a super, superstar in Japan, but he was really good looking,” Narumi added. “So all of the girls were following him like crazy.”

When Sugano was 19, there were sky-high projections for him to become a great player. In 2009, when Tatsunori was managing Japan in the World Baseball Classic, he told Narumi, “My (nephew) is being groomed to play baseball. He is going to be really great.”

Along with expectations came scrutiny.

“Of course, Sugano, being the nephew, got a lot of pressure,” Narumi said. “The expectations were much, much higher than for any regular player. But he surpassed all of those expectations.”

After some initial media frenzy during spring training with the Orioles last year, the scrutiny died down. Media attention is even less with the Rockies, although there are usually a handful of reporters from opposing teams surrounding Sugano’s locker after he pitches.

“It’s a different type of pressure than I felt back in Japan vs. here,” Sugano said. “I was expected to win and pitch very well, every game. But over here, I’m feeling more like a rookie. I was a rookie last year, so there’s not as much pressure.”

Sugano comes across a pleasant, quiet man. That was his reputation in Japan, too.

Nobi Kuga, who used to work for the Yomiuri Giants as their North American liaison and coordinator, is a close friend of Sugano’s uncle and Sugano’s parents. Kuga also helps arrange Sugano’s accommodations in Honolulu, where Sugano trains during the offseason.

“He’s a very down-to-earth guy,” Kuga said. “He’s very quiet, but he’ll open up to his close friends. In Baltimore, he was very quiet, but he’s happy to be in the majors. In Baltimore, I’m told that all of his teammates liked him.”

When Sugano pitched through illness to notch his 150th win on May 16, the Rockies held an impromptu postgame celebration in the clubhouse at Coors Field.

Sugano said he was “thrilled” that his new teammates recognized his milestone, but he was also characteristically modest about it.

“I’m obviously happy about it, but it����ap just another win, so I want to look forward to the 151st win,” he said.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer praised Sugano for his businesslike approach to the game.

“He’s just the ultimate professional — on a daily basis,” Schaeffer said. “You can just tell he’s been doing it at a high level for a long time. We celebrated the 150th in there today, and I’m very, very happy for him. It����ap a great milestone, well deserved.”

Rockies veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who notched the save to secure Sugano’s win, was awed by No. 150.

“That’s really big,” Senzatela said. “He’s one of the best pitchers over there in Japan, and he’s performing really well here in Coors. He’s a nice human being, a nice person. I love him, and I’m so happy for him.”

Sugano’s one big regret is that he never led the Giants to a Japan Series title, not even in 2020 when he posted a minuscule 1.97 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. But he’s proud of the legacy he left behind in Japan.

“The No. 1 honorable thing I could say about (my career highlights) is playing for the Yomiuri Giants,” Sugano said. “I have a lot of history there, for 12 years, and the teammates and the coaching staff that I met throughout the process is probably my No. 1 thing I’m most proud of.”

Sugano’s Star Power

During his 12 seasons with the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, Tomoyuki Sugano was one of the best starting pitchers in Japan. A closer look:
• Two Sawamura Awards, NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young (Sugano won back-to-back in 2017 and ’18)
• Two league MVP awards in NPB’s Central League (2014 and 2020)
• Eight All-Star seasons
• A pitching Triple Crown (2018)
• Four league ERA titles
• Two league strikeout titles (including a career-high 200 K’s in 2018)
Source: MLB.com

On Saturday afternoon, with two outs and two men on, the Rockies’ veteran right-hander threw a 2-2, 92.2 mph changeup to Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo in the ninth inning. It was a gutsy choice to end a 10-pitch battle, and when centerfielder Brenton Doyle drifted back and gathered in the ball for the game’s final out, Senzatela pumped his fist.

The erstwhile starter closed out the Rockies’ 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Senzatela, who struggled mightily as a starter in 2025, is 3 for 3 in save chances this season and has emerged as one of the best relievers in baseball.

Veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, dealing with flu-like symptoms, pitched five solid innings (two runs on seven hits) to set the table for Colorado’s victory. It was his 150th win, combining his career in Japan and the major leagues.

For Senzatela, getting the ball late in games is something new, but something he’s starting to crave. He likes the rush that comes with it.

“If you play baseball, you like pressure,” the 31-year-old said. “There is nothing easy in this game.”

He brought up his April 24 game at Citi Field in Queens when he pitched 1 2/3 innings to close out a 4-3 win over the Mets as a prime example of the adrenaline buzz that comes with the game on the line.

“Being out there with the lights and stuff, getting crazy, it was like, ‘Wow! This is new to me,” he said. “My heart rate was like (racing), and I liked it. And it was really fun today when I was heading out from the bullpen, and my song was really loud, and everybody was cheering. It reminded me of a postseason game.”

In 13 appearances this season, Senzatela is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA, 25 strikeouts, just eight walks, and a minuscule 0.81 WHIP.

“‘Senza’ is calm, and he throws strikes, that’s what he does,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “What a battle there at the end with Perdomo. That’s good baseball.”

Before Saturday’s game, Scheaffer was asked if he was considering moving Senzatela back into the starting rotation now that right-handers Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner are both on the injured list. Schaeffer said nothing doing.

“‘Senza’ is thriving where he is right now,” he said. “He’s one of the best relievers in the game, and that’s where he helps us win baseball games.”

Last season, opponents had a .352 batting average against Senzatela’s fastball, making it one of the most-hittable pitches in the majors. He posted a 6.65 ERA and served up a career-high 22 home runs. In 108 innings as a starter, Senzatela posted a 7.48 ERA and 1.91 WHIP before he was moved to the bullpen.

After extensive offseason work that included experimenting with different grips and a different pitch mix, Senza looks like a vastly different pitcher.

Colorado, which had lost seven of its last eight games at Coors Field heading into Saturday, desperately needed a strong performance from Sugano. Because, in May, starters were 0-9 with a 7.83 ERA.

“I was not (feeling) my best today, but once I determined (I was going to pitch), I wanted to go the distance,” Sugano said, using interpreter Yuto Sakurai.

Sugano has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his five home starts this season, posting a 4.50 ERA at Coors.

“‘Tomo’ gave us all he had to today,” Schaeffer said. “He was battling a sickness before the game and we didn’t even know if he could go. He gave us five strong to (get) the win. He gave it everything he had.”

Colorado scored all of the runs it needed to win the game in the first two innings against Arizona lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who entered the game 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA. Willi Castro led off the first with a single, and Brenton Doyle followed with a double. TJ Rumfield and Mickey Moniak delivered run-scoring singles to put Colorado ahead, 2-0.

Kyle Karros led off the second with a double and scored on Jake McCarthy’s single.

Pitching probables

Sunday: Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka (5-2, 3.53 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-5, 6.55), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 4.50) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.97), 6:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker (1-4, 4.34) at Rockies TBA, 6:40 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Or else why would the NFL bank on its most bankable quarterback, who tore his ACL last December, being ready for one of its most bankable windows (“Monday Night Football”) on one of its most bankable weeks (Week 1) and in one of its most bankable matchups (Broncos-Chiefs)?

Let’s get this out of the way first: The Grading The Week staff thinks the NFL is a giant, soulless, monolithic, cash-grabbing kaiju. But dang it, NFL officials sure know how to market and brand the living heck out of the most inane stuff. And at the most inane times of the year.

Fans can watch rookies run drills and pump iron at the scouting combine at Indy in February. The draft now looks (and sounds) like a football version of Lollapalooza. And the schedule release has somehow turned into one of the showcase events of the spring, elbowing its way onto the stage in the middle of the NBA and NHL’s postseasons with a mix of everything to

Speaking of fun, how about Rehab Bowl I? Between the Broncos and Chiefs, the best sports science staff wins. It’ll be like the pit crew competition during Indianapolis 500 weekend — only the wheels in this case are Bo Nix’s surgically-repaired right ankle and Mahomes’ new left knee.

Broncos getting Patrick Mahomes in Week 1 — B

Yes, the Broncos’ 2026 schedule is about 17 levels of pure brutality, especially before Halloween. So is it better for the Broncos to get the Chiefs out of the way early? And get Mahomes on the road out of the way early?

Well, historically, that glass is either half full or half empty, depending on which precedent you want to cherry-pick.

Good: Denver is 5-2 against the Chiefs in September since 2000. Less good: The Broncos went 1-1 when those matchups were played in KC.

Good: Mahomes has dropped two of his last three Week 1 contests. Less good: He’s 6-2 lifetime in openers as the Chiefs’ QB1, and 3-1 at home.

Good: Deshaun Watson and Robert Griffin III lost their debuts in the season immediately after they’d undergone major knee surgery. Less good: Tom Brady, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow all won their “comeback” appearances.

Burrow’s 2020 season ended with damage to his ACL, MCL and PCL. In his first start of 2021, Cincy Joe completed 20 of 27 throws for two scores in an overtime win over Minnesota.

Murray blew out his knee in Week 14 of the ’22 season. During his ’23 debut, Murray beat Atlanta at home.

Brady tore his ACL early in 2008. In his 2009 lid-lifter, he rallied the Pats to a 25-24 win over Buffalo on “Monday Night football,” throwing for two scores over the game’s final 2:10.

OK, so that last one wouldn’t be a particularly good omen.

Although this nugget is: Before 2026, the last time the Broncos had to travel to Kansas City for a road opener was … 2015. Just sayin’.

Antonio Senzatela’s rebound  — A-minus

The Rockies wrapped up their Keystone State road trip with a 2-4 record. Chase Dollander hurt his arm just as he was turning a corner. Michael Lorenzen and Coors Field look like a match made in Hades.

But, in the spirit of the Avs channeling all those 2022 vibes again, the baseball guys on the GTW crew are trying to keep it light and sunny when it comes to the news at 20th & Bleak.

After all, when wins are scarce, you celebrate the small ones, right? Mickey Moniak’s making a whale of an All-Star case, although catcher Hunter Goodman may pip him for that token Colorado spot. Starter Tomoyuki Sugano is keeping his walks down and some hopes high. And yet one of the most pleasant surprises of early May is how a guy the GTW kids had given up on — Antonio Senzatela — suddenly looks like the Rox’s most interesting potential deadline asset.

Colorado’s once-struggling righty is turning heads as a lockdown bullpen option. Heading into this weekend’s homestand, the 31-year-old had posted a 2,38 ERA over 11 1/3 innings at home this season, which is strong. He’d put up a 0.56 ERA in 16 innings on the road, which is even stronger. And, more to the point of a rebuild, tradeable.

After getting bludgeoned by Kyle Schwarber and shut down by ace lefty Cristopher Sanchez in a 6-0 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, the Rockies are 16-25 with one-quarter of the season in the books.

Schwarber hit solo home runs in the first and second innings off right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings. Sanchez dominated Colorado for seven innings, giving up six hits, striking out seven, and walking none. He reduced his ERA to 2.11.

It was a step back for Colorado, but a week ago, Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, said, “We’re certainly encouraged by a lot of what����ap going on, but at the same time, far from satisfied.”

Here’s a look at the state of the Rockies at the quarter pole:

• On pace: The Rockies’ .390 winning percentage has them pointed toward a 63-99 record. That would be a 20-game improvement over their 119-loss season in 2025 and enable them to avoid the infamy of being the first team since the 1961-64 Washington Senators to post four consecutive 100-loss seasons.

• White Sox meter: Chicago’s Southsiders lost a major league record 121 games in 2024. At the quarter pole last year, they were a miserable 12-29, but they eventually finished with a 60-102 record. That was a 19-game improvement.

• Road conditions: Colorado was laughably bad on the road last season, going 18-63, averaging just 2.81 runs per game, and getting outscored by 213 runs. The ’26 Rockies no longer look like automatic roadkill. They are 8-14 away from Coors Field but 6-4 over their last 10 games. They are averaging 3.95 runs per game on the road.

• Rotation in motion: The ’25 Rockies finished with a starters ERA of 6.65, the worst in the majors since ERA became an official statistic in 1913. This season’s starters own a 5.27 ERA, still the worst in the majors, but an improvement. Toss out the innings thrown by “openers” and the starters’ ERA is 5.11.

• Ace in the making? Right-hander Chase Dollander, who has the pure best stuff on the staff, is exponentially better this season than last — 3.35 ERA vs. 6.98 ERA as a rookie. On Friday, he held the Phillies to two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, but walked five in the Rockies’ wild, 9-7, 11-inning victory. Dollander’s command was not sharp, but he didn’t implode as he might have last season.

“Every outing is different, for everybody,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told MLB.com. “Today, for Chase, he had to battle command issues, but his stuff is so good that he was able to stay in it. He competed, and he kept grinding without his best command.”

Trade material: Except for Dollander, Colorado’s four other starters are all veterans in the final year of their contracts. That makes them possible trade candidates at the Aug. 3 deadline, if not before.

However, after a strong start to the season, the starters are beginning to fade. Lefty Kyle Freeland (1-4, 6.00 ERA) has a vesting option worth $17 million for 2027, but he needs to pitch 170 innings to activate that option, and it’s doubtful he will. There is a $9 million team option for right-hander Michael Lorenzen, but considering that he is 2-4 with a 6.92 ERA and a 3.56 batting average against, it’s doubtful the Rockies would pick up his option. But are either Lorenzen or Freeland tradeable?

That leaves lefty Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90 ERA) and Sugano (3-3, 4.07 ERA) as the most attractive trade pieces. And throw in reliever Antonio Senzatela (2-0, 1.11 ERA), too, because he’s also in the final year of his contract.

Somehow, someway, the Rockies are going to have to restock their pitching cupboard for next season and beyond. It’s a predicament that DePodesta and company will have to solve.

Men of mystery: The hope was that this would be corner outfielder Jordan Beck’s breakout season, and that centerfielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar would bounce back. It’s early, but it’s not happening.

After going 1 for 3 on Sunday, Beck is hitting .169 with a .490 OPS. Doyle (.196, .529, 33.6% strikeout rate) is showing signs of rebounding, as is Tovar (.197, .277, 28.6%), who had two singles on Sunday. Still, the trio is underperforming. Beck and Doyle are often supplanted in the lineup by Mickey Moniak and newcomers Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy.

He’s arbitration-eligible for one more season, leading to plenty of internet trade speculation. But if the Rockies don’t believe their outfield prospects are ready to carry the load, signing Moniak to a reasonable contract extension makes sense. He’s making $4 million this season.

First addition: Utility infielders Edouard Julien and Willi Castro, and outfielders Johnston and McCarthy have all contributed to Colorado’s improvement. But it’s rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield who looks like part of the Rockies’ foundation for the future.

He’s slashing .272/.337/.429 with five home runs and is tied with Moniak for the team lead with 21 RBIs. Among all qualified rookies, he is tied for first in games played (40), second in hits (40), fifth in RBIs (21), and eighth in batting average. He’s also a terrific fielder.

Rumfield is everything the Rockies hoped Michael Toglia would be.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-4, 6.92 ERA) at Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 3.90) at Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-1, 2.87 ERA), 4:40 p.m.
Thursday: RHP Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35) at Pirates RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA), 10:35 a.m.

TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

McCarthy turned on Craig Kimbrel’s inside fastball in the eighth inning and pumped the pitch over the right field foul pole for a grand slam. It sailed 448 feet and was finally called fair by the first-base umpire — and upheld on review.

That swing propelled the Rockies to a 6-2 win over the Mets on Thursday at Coors Field, avoiding a sweep and snapping a six-game losing streak. McCarthy had as his RBI double in the sixth registered 19.9% Win Probability Added, then his granny in the eighth was 12.5% WPA. It was the Rockies’ first grand slam this season.

“It looked fair in the beginning, then it took a hard hook at the end, so I didn’t know,” McCarthy said of the grand slam. “I was thinking, ‘Just stay fair.’ … (Kimbrel) has a good fastball, and I figured in that situation he’s going to have to come over the heart of the plate with it. So I was hunting it, but I would’ve also taken a sac fly or a seeing-eye single.”

But even with McCarthy’s offensive fireworks plus a strong pitching performance by Colorado, Coors Field attendance continues to lag through the Rockies’ first 19 home games of 2026. Of those 19 games, eight of them have been the lowest home attendance marks in club history for a franchise coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, including a historic 119-defeat embarrassment in 2025.

Weather played a factor in some of those figures, including this week. In Wednesday’s 10-5 defeat to New York, the Rockies set a new low with 11,155 fans in a game whose start time was pushed back and that followed a snowstorm earlier in the day. Thursday’s matinee, which was postponed from Tuesday, didn’t draw much better with 13,378 fans.

But it’s clear the fan apathy generated by the past three forgettable seasons is also playing a role in the low turnouts.

“We want to give fans something to root for, and I think we have to sort of earn their interest (back),” McCarthy said. “That’s something we do by winning and playing a good brand of baseball.”

Here’s a look at the Rockies’ struggling attendance in LoDo this season. Prior to 2026, the lowest home attendance in Colorado history was 18,119 on Sept. 22, 2005, against the Padres.

• April 22, 8-3 win vs Padres: 18,114
• April 7, 5-1 win vs Astros: 17,328
• April 6, 9-7 win vs Astros: 16,301
• April 21, 1-0 loss vs Padres: 15,672
• May 4, 4-2 loss vs Mets: 15,564
• April 8, 9-1 win vs Astros: 15,189
• May 7, 6-2 win vs Mets: 13,378
• May 6, 10-5 loss to Mets: 11,155

Those who were in attendance on Thursday saw a strong performance by Jose Quintana, 14 years to the day of his MLB debut with the White Sox. Quintana threw 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. The damage came in the second inning, when New York scored via a sacrifice fly and RBI single.

The Rockies’ offense struggled to get in gear all afternoon until McCarthy’s decisive swing. Colorado got a run from Willi Castro’s RBI single in the fourth, then tied the game on McCarthy’s RBI double in the sixth. But Colorado left runners on the corners in the fourth and stranded the bases loaded in the sixth after McCarthy’s blooped double to center tied the game.

McCarthy has been on a heater lately, hitting .409 over his last nine games, including his first homer of the year in Wednesday’s defeat that preceded his grand slam on Thursday. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer lauded McCarthy’s ability to put the ball in play in a two-strike count in the sixth.

“That����ap a huge point in the game,” Schaeffer said. “It changes now you approach everything (from there on), and it changes how you use your bullpen.”

Juan Mejia, Brennan Bernardino and Antonio Senzatela combined for a scoreless relief performance by the Rockies. Colorado now heads on a six-game road trip to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

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

What����ap surprised you so far with the Rockies?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Wow, Ed, that is the question of the moment. Let me start by saying that there have been plenty of pleasant surprises in the early going. There have also been a few disappointments. Let’s get to it.

Good surprises

• Colorado’s 13-16 record. Heading into Tuesday’s game at Cincinnati, the club was on pace to finish 73-89. I don’t think the Rockies will win that many games, in large part because they might trade a few veteran starters in late July/early August, which could cost them some games. But the record is encouraging. Of course, I picked the Rockies to lose 102 games, so what do I know?

• Antonio Senzatela’s resurgence. I’ll be honest, I thought “Senza” was done, regardless of his role. But as I write this, he has a 0.50 ERA and looks like a different pitcher, dominating out of the bullpen. In fact, he is a different pitcher.  Senzatela threw his very hittable four-seam fastball 57% of the time last season, more often than all but 13 qualified pitchers in the majors. This season, he’s using his four-seamer just 37%, while incorporating his cutter (28%) and a sinker (12%), pitches he didn’t have in his repertoire last season.

• Mickey Moniak’s staying power. The No. 1 draft pick for the Phillies in 2016 had a good first season with the Rockies, but I wasn’t sure it was sustainable. Last season, Moniak set career highs in games (135), runs (62), hits (117), triples (eight), home runs (24), RBIs (68), stolen bases (nine), slugging (.519), and OPS (.824). Moniak has had hot streaks before, but then cooled off for long periods. But right now, he’s playing like an All-Star, slashing .316/.353/.684 with a team-high eight home runs.

• Troy Johnston’s hot start. When the Rockies claimed Johnston off waivers from the Marlins in November, I considered him a minor addition and a player for spring training depth and competition. It’s looking like I was way off base. Not only has Johnson slashed .315/.371/.449 with two homers and is tied for the team lead with 16 RBIs, but he’s brought fun and energy to the clubhouse.

•  Chase Dollander’s 180-degree turn. Everyone knows that the right-hander has ace-like stuff. However, harnessing that stuff was problematic last season (2-12, 6.65 ERA overall, 2-6, 9.98 ERA at Coors Field). But Dollander has been outstanding this season (3-2, 2.25 ERA, .200 batting average against), even though the Rockies have used an opener for all but one of his games.

Bad surprises

• Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s slow start. He looks lost at the plate right now and is hitting .200. He’s getting beat on fastballs up in the zone and waving over the top of sliders down and away. His strikeout rate is 30%, and his 48% chase rate is the highest in the majors. He’s too good a player for his slump to continue, but the trend is troubling.

• The slumps of Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle. The Rockies need their defense in the outfield, but they are liabilities at the plate right now, which is why they are getting relatively limited playing time and hitting at the bottom of the order. Beck is hitting .154 with just three extra-base hits (one homer, two doubles). Doyle is hitting .208 with just three extra-base hits (one homer, two doubles). Entering the season, they were viewed as pillars of Colorado’s rebuild, but right now, they are players in limbo.

Patrick, we Rockies fans can clearly see the team is improved and more competitive this season. Do the players hear the same from opponents, and do you hear it from outside media?

— Dom, Longmont

Dom, I honestly don’t know how most opposing players view the Rockies. However, when the Padres were in Denver recently, several of their players said they thought the Rockies were a much-improved team.

I think a lot of media members — those who pay attention — understand that Colorado is better. Still, the stigma of three consecutive 100-loss seasons, including the 119-loss debacle last year, is hard to erase. For example, some of the New York Mets writers were apoplectic when the Rockies swept the Mets in Queens over the weekend. And an as the worst team in the majors, despite their much-improved record.

Patrick, do you agree that we’ve seen these two patterns so far in 2026? Pattern 1: You were precisely on target in projecting that the Rox will be improved, but probably won’t win 70 games this season. Pattern 2: The Rox are a Jekyll-and-Hyde team; alternating between playing a beautiful game one day and an ugly game the next (which is an improvement on three years of two or three ugly games for every one beauty).

And what does Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer see in Victor Vodnik? Is any Rox reliever less effective than Vodnik so far this year?

— Dave Stauffer, Denver

Dave, I agree with both your “patterns.” We’re going to see a lot of growing pains this season because the Rockies are still a flawed team. But give the players, coaching staff, and front office credit; they are at least a competitive team this season. That wasn’t the case last season when they had an almost unfathomable minus-424 run differential.

As for Vodnik, what Schaeffer sees is a pitcher who consistently throws 97-99 mph, can top 100 mph, and fearlessly attacks hitters. He can be erratic, as we saw last week when the Padres scored five runs off him in the ninth. But I wouldn’t give up on Vodnik.

We have two similar questions regarding Chase Dollander.

Chase Dollander seems to have kind of figured out his pitching. Do you think they’ll stay with an opener for him for a few more outings, or is this opener thing going to stick around for a while for his outings

— Kyle, Thornton

When the Rockies use an opener, why do they bring Chase Dollander in afterward? He is clearly the one handling most of the innings. Twice now, he has not been the starter but still pitched longer than any other pitcher. It seems easier to have him start the game.

— Freddy, Thornton

Guys, Dollander got the start in New York against the Mets and pitched seven strong innings. After the game, however, manager Warren Schaeffer was unclear whether he would continue to use Dollander as a traditional starter.

This is what I wrote:

“Dollander got his first official start of the season, as opposed to entering the game in the second inning after Colorado used an opener. Schaeffer said he doesn’t see a difference.

“No change from what he’s been doing,” he said. “Whether you start him or bring him out of the ‘pen, he’s going to be the same guy. It was just the state of the bullpen. We used a lot of leverage relievers in the first game, so it just made sense to start him.”

Schaeffer had previously said he thought that Dollander benefited from “the routine” of having an opener ahead of him, and also said that Dollander benefited from not having to face a batting order three times. We’ll see if Schaeffer sticks with that plan, especially now that right-hander Ryan Feltner is on the injured list with right ulnar nerve inflammation.

“The ultimate goal is to bring consistent winning seasons to this organization,” Schaeffer said on the day he slipped off the interim tag and was officially named Rockies manager. “You’re going to see winning baseball in Denver a lot sooner than you think.”

Raise your hand if you were skeptical.

I don’t blame you. Three consecutive 100-loss seasons, topped off by last year’s 119-loss disaster, tend to squeeze the optimism out of even the most positive fans. But Scheaffer might be on to something.

Entering Sunday’s doubleheader vs. the Mets (Saturday’s game at Citi Field was rained out), the Rockies are 11-16. They have been solid at home (7-6), though predictably wobbly on the road (4-10). They are on pace to finish 66-96, which would be a 23-game improvement from last season. I picked the Rockies to lose 102 games, so they are exceeding my expectations — at least in the early going.

Some very early observations, questions, and predictions with 16.6% of the season in the books:

The bullpen has been excellent: Even with the Padres’ ninth-inning rally vs. Victor Vodnik last Thursday, the relievers have been the best thing about the Rockies this season. Colorado’s 3.77 ERA ranks 12th in the majors, and considering the Coors Field factor, that’s pretty good. Former starter Antonio Senzatela looks reborn. He’s given up two runs over 18 innings (0.50 ERA) with 18 strikeouts vs. four walks.

Is the bullpen’s excellence sustainable? History tells us no. The wear and tear of the season usually causes Rockies relievers to implode in August and September. Schaeffer and the front office are well aware of that history, which is a reason why we’re seeing Colorado use so many “bulk relievers.” Pitchers like Jimmy Herget, Chase Dollander and Senzatela have been purposely scheduled for multiple innings, with the hope that late-game relievers won’t be toast in August. We’ll see if it works.

Can Dollander become a true ace? Yes, he can. It’s not just that his stats — 2.88 ERA, .198 batting average against, 32 strikeouts vs. seven walks — but his demeanor, self-confidence, and easy power that give him a chance to be great. Of course, a true ace doesn’t have a reliever opening games for him, but I imagine that set up is going to change sooner rather than later.

Who’s a possible All-Star? Right now, the Rockies have two candidates — catcher Hunter Goodman (.264 average, .870 OPS, six homers) and outfielder Mickey Moniak (.315, 1.050, eight). But there are two caveats here. First, Goodman’s 37.3% strikeout rate is much too high. Second, Moniak has had hot streaks before. Can he be productive for a full season?

But wouldn’t it be cool if Moniak gets to play in the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia? Remember, the Phillies selected him with the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Ezequiel Tovar will play better: The shortstop has not played well thus far, at least not by his standards. His .967 fielding percentage ranks 10th in the majors, his 3.70 range factor is ninth, and his 0.0 DWAR ranks 23rd. His numbers will improve because he’s a talented, athletic shortstop who could still end up in the Gold Glove conversation.

However, Tovar looks lost at the plate right now, as evidenced by his .216/.255/.330 slash line that includes just one home run.  His strikeout rate is 28.4%, his walk rate is just 2.9%, and his chase rate is a very hight 48.5%. Those are reasons why he’s hitting low in Schaeffer’s lineup.

When Tovar hit .269 with 26 homers and 45 doubles in 2024, I thought he was just getting warmed up. It’s early, but he needs to become a more disciplined hitter to become the star so many envisioned.

What’s up with Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck? There have been flashes that they could be pillars of the Rockies’ outfield for years to come. That’s not happening right now.

Beck isn’t getting on base consistently (.204 on-base percentage), so he’s not getting consistent playing time, which, in turn, is part of the reason why he’s hitting just .160 with one home run. He’s in no-man’s land right now. He might be a slow starter, but he’s going to need to earn more at-bats to climb out of his funk. That’s not easy in the big leagues.

Doyle is beginning to hit the ball hard again, and the Rockies need his defense in center field. But he’s striking out 35% of the time, and his track record shows he’s a streak hitter. Right now, he’s slashing .219/.288/.288 with one home run and a .143 average with runners in scoring position. The jury is still out on his future.

TJ Rumfield is a real find: The rookie first baseman is everything that former first baseman Michael Toglia was not. In Friday night’s win over the Mets, he put together a seven-pitch at-bat against Freddie Peralta with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Rumfield didn’t get a hit, but he grounded out and scored a run. He takes unselfish at-bats, which is not always easy for a rookie. He’s hitting a solid .292 (7 for 24) with runners in scoring position.

Major decisions loom for the front office: Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, has been progressive since taking over the front office — pitch-calling “suggestions” from the dugout, a lot of new people on staff, and beefing up the analytics department.

Former general manager Bill Schmidt was criticized for holding on to players and getting nothing in return. So I’ll be curious to see how many veteran starters DePodesta will put on the market as the Aug. 3 trade deadline comes into view. Right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano, and lefty Jose Quintana, are all pitching on one-year deals. Lorenzen has a $9 million club option for 2027, but I doubt the Rockies will pick it up. Senzatela is also in the final year of his contract.

The wild-card here is lefty Kyle Freeland, who’s in his 10th year with the Rockies. He’s pitched terrifically so far, but his stint on the injured list means his player option likely won’t kick in. He needs to pitch 170 innings for his $17,000 option to vest for 2027.

The resurgent Rockies held on to beat the Mets, 4-3, at Citi Field on Friday night behind a terrific start from Michael Lorenzen and some timely hits.

The Mets, who took two games from the Twins after losing 12 games in a row, usually dominate Colorado, especially in Queens. But Colorado made the key plays in the key moments on Friday night.

Colorado rebounded after a painful ninth-inning loss to the Padres on Thursday at Coors Field.

Key moments: Right fielder Troy Johnson delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning to score Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield and increase Colorado’s lead to 4-1. Johnson’s big hit came off reliever Sean Manaea.

In the eighth, after New York tagged Jaden Hill for two runs on four hits in one-third inning, right-hander Antonio Senzatela rode to the rescue. He got Mark Vientos to line out to a double play to end the inning. Senzatela pitched a perfect ninth, striking out pinch-hitter MJ Melendez with a 98 mph fastball to end the game. Senzatela notched his second save and lowered his ERA to 0.50.

Who’s hot:  Lorenzen, who struggled to begin the season, pitched seven terrific innings. Although the Mets knocked out seven hits, he limited them to one run, didn’t walk any, and struck out three. Lorenzen induced three groundball double plays to get himself out of trouble.

Who’s not: The Rockies’ lineup on the road. Although the Rockies came up with key hits, they also struck out 15 times, were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, and left 11 runners on base.

Worth noting: Colorado snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Mets and won for just the second time in its last seven games at Citi Field.

Injury update: Right-handed starter Ryan Feltner was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with right ulnar nerve inflammation. Feltner exited Colorado’s 10-8 loss to the Padres on Thursday after pitching just two innings when he felt tightness in his right triceps and numbness in his fingers.

that he’s hopeful that Feltner’s stint on the IL will not be a long one.

“The MRI looked pretty good,” Schaeffer said. “We are hoping (Feltner is on the IL for the minimum 15 days). It����ap just a little elbow inflammation.”

To replace Feltner on the roster, Colorado called up left-hander Sammy Peralta from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday. Peralta, 27, was claimed via waivers from Milwaukee earlier this month. In seven appearances with the Isotopes, he has a 3.72 ERA with seven strikeouts and three walks over 9 2/3 innings.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.23 ERA) at Mets RHP Kodai Senga (0-3, 8.83), 2:10 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies TBD at Mets RHP Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.67)

Monday: Off day

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Too often, he’d throw his 95-mph fastball over the heart of the plate. “Thwack!” Baseballs sizzled off the bat. Full Charlie Brown mode. Duck and cover. It was hard to watch.

Opponents had a .352 batting average against Senzatela’s fastball. It was one of the most hittable pitches in the majors. He posted a 6.65 ERA and served up a career-high 22 home runs. In 108 innings as a starter, Senzatela posted a 7.48 ERA and 1.91 WHIP. Manager Warren Schaeffer was forced to demote him to the bullpen as a cleanup reliever.

“Senza,” as everyone calls the Rockies’ veteran right-hander, has never come close to being a star, but he was a serviceable back-of-the-rotation pitcher. But, in retrospect, it seemed like a mistake to sign him to a five-year, $50.5 million contract extension in October 2021.

He’s been through a lot. He sustained a torn ACL in August 2021, worked his way back, blew out his elbow, and underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023. Through it all, Senzatela has been a complete pro. He’s beloved by his teammates and is always friendly with the media. Most of all, he put in the work.

But Senza looked done. The $12 million he’s making this season looked like dead money.

But now, he’s one of baseball’s best stories in the early going. How many pitchers reinvent themselves at 31?

Entering the weekend, he had yet to give up a run over five games (12 1/3) innings as a long reliever. His 0.568 WHIP is ridiculously low. He’s struck out 15 and walked just three.

Schaeffer never gave up on Senzatela, but knew the right-hander had to change if he wanted to thrive as a long reliever under the Rockies’ new game plan, in which long relievers play a critical role.

“One hundred percent, he could have gone one of two ways — the other way or the way he’s going now — which is a credit to the way he went about it,” Schaeffer told MLB.com in San Diego last weekend. “None of us doubted that this was going to be the case. I’m extremely proud of the way he goes about his business, attacking it every single day.”

During the offseason, Senzatela trained at Push Performance, a Phoenix-area training facility. Under the tutelage of new Rockies pitching coach Alon Leichman and new assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas, Senzatela honed his craft during spring training. He experimented with different grips, adjusted his position on the pitching rubber, and changed his mentality on the mound.

Now, Senza looks like a different pitcher. His average four-seam fastball velocity has increased from 95 mph to 97.2 mph. More importantly, he’s become a less predictable pitcher. Last season, he threw his four-seam fastball 59.6% of the time. This season, he’s using it 39.6% of the time,

Last season, he threw his cutter 1.8% of the time. This season it’s up to 26.6%. Senzatela’s slider, a pitch he’s never commanded particularly well, has been put in the back pocket (18% in 2025, 3% in ’26). He threw a sinking fastball hardly at all last season (0.5%), but he’s throwing it at 95.9 mph this season (12.4%) and getting groundball outs with it.

Senza said that once he made adjustments to his pitcher repertoire and his daily routine, he’s come to like coming out of the bullpen.

“I feel really good,” he said Friday before the Rockies hosted the Dodgers. “I can feel my adrenaline when I come into a game. So it feels really good (coming out) of the bullpen and having that experience.

“It’s different knowing you have to be ready almost every day. It����ap different for me now, but it����ap going good.”

Actually, better than good. In April, he’s been praise-worthy, not cringe-worthy. Good for him.