“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.

Monday night, in a 12-3 loss to the Dodgers at Coors Field, they stumbled over some familiar obstacles. Namely, ineffective starting pitching, sloppy defense, and a lack of clutch hits.

Plus, Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy punished Rockies pitching, as he did throughout the series, by hitting two home runs in a 4-for-4 performance.

All of that cost the Rockies a chance to win their first series from the Dodgers since June 27-29, 2022. Instead, they had to settle for a split of the four-game set.

“It wasn’t the cleanest game, and we didn’t play great defense, which was uncharacteristic for us,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “It was one to forget.”

Colorado, fueled by two straight wins over Los Angeles, came out of the gate hot. Jordan Beck led off with a double off lefty Justin Wrobleski, and Brenton Doyle immediately drove Beck home with a double of his own.

Beck, who’s received irregular playing time this season, made the most of his opportunity, hitting 3 for 4 and boosting his average from .122 to .178.

But the first inning was the Rockies’ high-water mark. They could never really solve Wrobleski, who bobbed and weaved his way through seven innings. Wrobleski gave up eight hits and struck out only three, but didn’t walk any and was never stressed.

Wrobleski became the first Dodgers starter to go at least seven innings and allow one or fewer runs with no walks in back-to-back starts since Max Scherzer in 2021.

“He was just attacking the strike zone,” Schaeffer said. “But I don’t think we took bad at-bats tonight. According to my calculations, we hit 15 balls hard tonight, which is a lot of hard-hit balls. I thought we pushed our offensive approach forward again tonight, we just didn’t get the results.”

Colorado did get a big fly in the eighth when rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield hit a 440-foot solo homer into the second deck in right field off of reliever Edgardo Henriquez. It was Rumfield’s third homer of the season.

In the second inning, Muncy and Miguel Rojas launched back-to-back solo home runs off Rockies starter Jose Quintana, who was making his first start at Coors since Aug. 10, 2022, when he pitched for St. Louis. The best that can be said of Quintana’s performance on Monday night was that he saved the bullpen some gas by pitching five-plus innings.

The veteran lefty gave up six runs (four earned) on eight hits. He struck out one and walked one. He also committed a fielding error and balked in a run in the fourth while pitching to Shohei Ohtani.

“It felt better today … and my mechanics were better. If I keep throwing that way, it will give us a better chance to win,” said Quintana, now 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA after three starts. He missed time because of a hamstring strain early in the season.

Added Schaeffer: “I thought he battled, but he got hurt when he got behind in counts.”

Colorado was charged with three errors. In addition to Quintana’s error (he failed to catch the ball when covering first base), third baseman Eric Karros misplayed Will Smith’s slow grounder in the third, allowing Ohtani to score from second base, and reliever Tanner Gordon muffed Rojas’ bunt in the sixth, allowing Andy Pages to score.

Gordon, working in long relief, pitched four innings and was blasted for six runs on seven hits, including giving up a solo home run to Dalton Rushing in Los Angeles’ two-run eighth, then a solo home run to Muncy, as well as a two-run homer to Rushing in the ninth. Muncy batted .588 (10 for 17) with one double, four home runs, and five RBIs during the four-game series.

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 2.49 ERA) at Rockies TBD (opener), 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Padres RHP Walker Buehler (1-1-, 4.58) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 3.92), 6:40 p.m.

Thursday: Padres RHP Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73) at Rockies TBD, 1:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Sparked by Mickey Moniak’s two-run homer in the seventh and a 15-hit attack, the Rockies beat the Dodgers, 9-6, on a perfect spring Sunday in front of a crowd of 42,627 at Coors Field.

For the second straight game, it was Colorado, not the two-time defending World Series champions, that delivered when it mattered. The Rockies beat the Dodgers 4-3 on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 47,925.

The roots of the mini-revival can be traced to the meeting between the struggling offense and manager Warren Schaeffer, along with hitting coaches Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco. It came on the heels of a 3-1 loss to the Astros in Houston last Wednesday. Colorado had just three hits, struck out 15 times, and was 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies had 20 swings and misses.

The meeting wasn’t fire-and-brimstone, but it was effective.

“We talked as men,” Moniak said Sunday after hitting his team-leading sixth homer. “It definitely wasn’t a panic meeting. It was like, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on, this is what we are seeing. (There are) a lot of good things, but this is stuff we can improve on. And let’s talk about. Let’s figure out how we can do it as a team.’

“I think that’s where ‘Schaeff’ is incredible. He really allows us to rally around each other, and he pushes us in the right direction. He’s all about open dialogue, and it’s been a blessing.”

Moniak stressed that the players led the meeting, but said that Schaeffer and his coaches had input.

“We just talked about what we needed to do as a team,” Moniak said. “Team baseball always wins, and we want to figure out how to do that.”

Have the words transferred to the batter’s box?

“Yeah, 100%,” Moniak said. “I was fortunate last year with the Angels to have a presentation from Albert Pujols — one of the greats — and his whole mindset, and his whole approach at the plate was to have a good at-bat, every single at-bat. “That was his only focus, and he knew if he did that 600 times a year, he was going to be in a good spot.”

The Rockies are in a good spot right now, at least at home. They improved to 9-13 overall and 6-3 at Coors Field, where they have won six of their last seven. Sunday marked their first back-to-back wins against the Dodgers in a single season since taking three in a row at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 2-4, 2022.

“The goal is to maintain that energy every day,” Schaeffer said. “Start fresh tomorrow. Then start fresh the next day. These guys love each other, and they are pulling for each other every day, and that creates energy.”

The Rockies’ seventh-inning rally began with a leadoff double by Edouard Julien off right-hander Blake Treinen. Up stepped Moniak, who clobbered Treinen’s first-pitch sweeper 428 feet. A double by Hunter Goodman and an RBI single by Tyler Freeman gave the Rockies a two-run cushion.

Naturally, there was some LoDo drama.

Los Angeles’ Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim singled in the eighth off reliever Jimmy Herget, and Alex Freeland blasted a ball to deep center field. But Brenton Doyle, inserted for defensive purposes, ran the ball down for the final out.

The ninth was a nail-biter. Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double off Victor Vodnik and scored on Will Smith’s single. The Dodgers packed the bases on an infield hit by Max Muncy and a walk by Vodnik. Pinch-hitter Daulton Rushing’s groundout scored a run, but Ryan Ward flied out to Troy Johnston in right field, who made a diving catch to close out Colorado’s win.

Colorado had bought some much-needed insurance with its three-run eighth. They needed it. The big hit was a two-run, bases-loaded single by Julien, who went 3 for 5 with three RBIs.

“It was big. We needed the (runs),” Schaeffer said.  “You need every run you can get against the Dodgers.”

L.A. took a short-lived 4-3 lead against right-handed reliever Antonio Senzatela in the sixth on Alex Freeland’s run-scoring single to right. It was the first run of the season allowed by Senzatela in six appearances.

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen delivered a workmanlike, five-inning start for the Rockies. The fact that he pitched five innings and left with the game tied 3-3 was a step forward for Lorenzen, who has a 7.48 ERA after five starts (six appearances). Lorenzen was tagged for seven hits, walked one, and struck out three.

“I have been working really hard to get my body moving the right way, and I feel like we are making progress,” he said.

The Dodgers scored two off Lorenzen in the third on a double by Kim, an RBI single by Alex Freeland, and an RBI double by Ohtani. The double extended Ohtani’s on-base streak to 51 consecutive games, moving him past “Wee” Willie Keeler for third all-time in Dodgers franchise history (since 1900). Only Hall of Famer Duke Snider (58 games in 1954) and Shawn Green (53 in 2000) are ahead of Ohtani.

Rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield drove in Colorado’s first run with a single in the fourth, and Colorado tied the game, 3-3, in the fifth on a 448-foot solo homer to left by Kyle Karros and an RBI single by Julien to score Jake McCarthy, who doubled.

The Dodgers and Rockies play the final game of the four-game series on Monday night at Coors.

Pitching probables

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

Tuesday: Padres RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 2.49) at Rockies TBD, 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Padres RHP Walker Buehler (1-1-, 4.58) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 3.92), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

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• Rockies blow game, series as Padres score five runs off Victor Vodnik in ninth

The victory, buffered by Colorado’s shutdown bullpen, snapped Colorado’s six-game losing streak.

Dollander didn’t get the start — Colorado used Juan Mejia as an opener — but Dollander entered the game in the first inning, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and struck out nine. He gave up one run and walked two. Dollander’s nine strikeouts tied a franchise record for the most strikeouts by a reliever. He tied Bruce Ruffin, who had nine Ks in relief on Sept. 14, 1993, the Rockies’ inaugural season.

Key Moments: There were multiple high-wire moments, to wit:

• In the sixth, Dollander issued a leadoff walk to Isaac Parades, and Carlos Correra ripped a double to left field off the glove of third baseman Kyle Karros. Dollander looked to be in deep trouble but kept his cool. He got the dangerous Christian Walker to ground out to short by using a nasty sinker. Then Dollander struck out Joey Loperfido and Cam Smith to end the threat.

• In the seventh, the Astros loaded the bases against right-hander Jaden Hill, but on a 2-2 count, Correa lined out softly to first baseman T.J. Rumfield and Colorado’s lead held.

• In the top of the seventh, Colorado loaded the bases with one out but failed to score. AJ Blubaugh struck out Goodman for the second out. Then Mickey Moniak hit a sharper grounder to the right side that looked like a two-run single, but Houston second baseman Jose Altuve made a brilliant, sliding grab and threw out Moniak.

• In the fifth, Hunter Goodman ripped a two-out double to center and Tyler Freeman attempted to score from first base. It seemed like a done deal, but Freeman was erased at the plate by catcher Yanier Dias after perfect throws from center fielder Taylor Trammell and Correa from short.

Who’s hot: Goodman (2 for 3 with a walk) hit a leadoff homer in the fourth inning, his fifth.

Freeman hit 3 for 5 and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth. Freeman is batting .300.

Center fielder Brenton Doyle has run cold much of the season, but he hit 2 for 3, drew a walk, and stole two bases (he has five this season) and scored on Freeman’s single in the fifth to give Colorado its 3-2 lead.  Doyle raised his average by 26 points to .226.

Who’s not: Mejia failed to get out of the first inning. In two-thirds of an inning, he gave up two runs on two bloop hits, uncorked a wild pitch, and plunked Christian Walker. Dollander came to his rescue.

Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has cooled down after a hot start. He went 0 for 4, and his average sits at .233.

Worth noting: The Rockies threatened to repeat some bad history, but managed to escape infamy. Colorado had gone winless on a road trip of at least seven games just twice in franchise history: Sept. 15-21, 2011, at San Francisco and San Diego, and June 25-July 1, 1999, at San Diego and at San Francisco.

Pitching probables

Friday: Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16), 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off grand slam off right-hander Valente Bellozo to win the extra-inning chess match and halt Colorado’s four-game winning streak.

With ghost runner Jake Cronenworth perched on third with one out, Colorado intentionally walked Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases, hoping to get a double play and send the game into the 13th inning. Instead, Bogaerts ripped Bellozo’s 1-0 sinker deep into the left-field seats.

Key moment: Aside from Bogaerts’ slam, the game’s tipping point came in the top of the 12th with ghost runner Willi Castro on third and one out. Brenton Doyle hit a hot shot to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who made a perfect throw to nail Castro at home for the second out. Kyle Karros grounded out to short to end the inning.

Who’s hot: Doyle, who entered the game hitting .139, finally looked comfortable at the plate. He hit a 408-foot solo homer to center in the third to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Doyle added a sharp single in the fifth.

Right-handed reliever Jimmy Herget, who started the game as an opener, pitched a perfect first inning. Through six appearances, Herget has a 1.29 ERA.

Right-hander Chase Dollander followed Herget and pitched 4 1/3 innings. He gave up one run in the third, but was charged with just four hits, while walking one and striking out three.

Who’s not: Castro, who got the start at third base, struck out five times in five at-bats, and his early-season average tumbled to .222.

Worth noting: Starting catcher Hunter Goodman left the game in the sixth inning after getting hit by a pitch. Goodman tried to stay in the game, but his finger was bleeding. Manager Warren Schaeffer said that although Goodman suffered a laceration to the right middle finger, X-rays were negative. The Rockies hope that Goodman won’t miss much time.

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

Monday: Off day.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Playing push-the-envelope baseball, combined with solid pitching and timely hitting, the Rockies beat the Astros 9-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field to polish off the three-game sweep. Last season, en route to 119 losses, the Rockies managed one sweep, taking three games in Miami from June 2-4.

And get this: The heretofore swing-happy Rockies had more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) for the first time since July 1, 2024, vs. Milwaukee, when they walked five times and struck out four times.

“We are playing in a ballpark that is like no other, right?” said All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, who smacked a bonus solo home run in the fourth inning. “So, getting guys on base and in scoring position is huge. We’ve been doing that. When you get guys on base, you are going to score a lot of runs here.”

The irony here is that Wednesday’s announced crowd was 15,189, marking the lowest home attendance in franchise history, excluding pandemic-affected seasons. The previous low crowd came on Monday night, with an announced crowd of 16,301.

Starter Michael Lorenzen rebounded from his debacle against the Phillies in last Friday’s home opener — nine runs allowed on 12 hits, including two homers over three innings — to turn in a quality start. He allowed one run on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and sliced his ERA from 14.73 to 9.00.

Lorenzen credited the Rockies’ pitching coaches and analytics team for the turnaround.

“We have some smart people here, and we all put our heads together and tried to figure it out,” he said. “I have a lot of good data from today that we can build off of. It’s not all there yet, but it’s a good, good start.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer said he never doubted that Lorenzen would produce. Colorado signed the veteran right-hander to a one-year, $8 million contract that includes a $9 million club option for 2027. The Rockies need him to deliver.

“He located better today, and he had all of his pitches working,” Schaeffer said. “He was getting ahead in counts. He was big for us today … saving our bullpen.”

Colorado’s five-run second inning was a prime example of the Go-Go Rox style of baseball that Schaeffer has been preaching since spring training.

“That (inning) was fundamentally sound, with sac bunts involved, base-hit bunts involved, and sac flies involved,” Schaeffer said. “We were taking our walks — some really, really tough walks today.

“That’s what we want to do. We want to pass the baton; we want to execute with runners on third with less than two outs. That was very good today.”

The Rockies sent 10 men to the plate in the second, beginning with a leadoff double by Troy Johnston. Included in the track meet were a two-run single by Edoward Julien, a bunt single by Brenton Doyle, an RBI double by Ezequiel Tovar, a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Freeman, a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak, three walks, and two stolen bases.

Julien, who’s taking over the leadoff spot, went 5 for 12 with four RBIs during the three-game set.

Lorenzen wasn’t the only pitcher to rebound on Wednesday. Right-hander reliever Zach Agnos, who had allowed 11 hits combined over his last two outings and owned a 12.27 ERA coming in, pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.

“It started with (Lorenezen) today, but I just went out there and attacked the zone today,” Agnos said. “Pitching, like hitting, can be contagious. People have picked me up plenty of times, so it was fun to be able to pick them up.”

His biggest moment came in the sixth inning when he relieved Lorenzen with two outs and the bases loaded. He got Christian Vasquez to ground out to third.

“With the way we are playing, you want to get in on the fun,” Agnos said.

The Rockies take their momentum on the road beginning Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the Padres in San Diego.

“The attitude of this club is, every day, no matter where we are, we want to play good baseball,” Schaeffer said. “We are not going to make it a thing and worry about the road as opposed to home. We are just going to go to San Diego tomorrow and try to play a really good baseball game.”

Rolling Rox

The Rockies won their fourth consecutive game and completed a three-game sweep of the Astros on Wednesday. Not a big deal for most teams, but it was for the Rockies, who:
• Captured their first sweep at Coors Field since May 10-12, 2024, vs. the Rangers.
• Won a home series in April. Last season, they didn’t want their first home series until taking two of three from the Twins on July 18-20.
• Improved to 6-6, the latest in the season they’ve been .500 since 2022, when they were 17-17 on May 15.
• Have won four straight games, matching their longest winning streak of 2025, which they did twice.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Rockies TBD (opener) at Padres RHP at RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 0.75 ERA), 7:40 p.m.

Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

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

Where did T.J. feltner Rumfield come from? This guy seemed like he came out of nowhere.

— Mark, Arvada

Mark, let me start by saying that Rumfield has been Colorado’s best offensive player in the early going. As I write this, he’s slashing .364/.417/.636 (1.053 OPS), with two homers and seven RBIs. Plus, he’s played superb defense at first base.

But he didn’t come out of nowhere. He came from the Bronx. This is what I wrote early in spring training:

“T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo. At least, that����ap how he saw things. So did the Rockies.

“Which is why they acquired the Yankees’ minor leaguer in exchange for talented but mercurial right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli in a trade in late January. Now it����ap Rumfield’s job to bust open the door of opportunity.”

He’s done exactly that, winning the job in spring training and coming out of the gate hot.

Interesting fact: T.J.’s father, Toby, was the Reds’ 1991 second-round pick and spent 14 years in the minor leagues as a catcher, playing for the Braves, White Sox, Marlins, and Cardinals systems. Toby made it as high as Triple-A but never made the majors.

The steals have been fun, but besides that, the Rockies’ approach has been miserable: heavy on strikeouts, low on walks, and non-existent in the clutch. They seem like a young team trying too hard, but is it an overall lack of talent, or can this group improve? And why is Warren Schaeffer only starting Jordan Beck (a supposed cornerstone) half the time when Jake McCarthy starts every day and has been even worse?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Isaac, not to make excuses for the Rockies (who are 4-6 as I write this), but it’s very early. Still, outside of two games, the offense has been awful.

Colorado’s 6.0 walk percentage is the lowest in the majors, while its 29.5% strikeout rate is the second highest. The Rockies’ .241 average with runners in scoring position ranks 19th.

The Rockies’ 10 steals are tied for third-most.

So, while I’m on board with Schaeffer’s plan to turn his team into the “Go Go Rox,” the Rockies can’t put pressure on the opposition if they don’t get on base more.

Is it a lack of talent? That’s part of the problem. Let’s face it, the Rockies aren’t fielding very many All-Star Game candidates. Plus, some of the players Colorado is counting on to be cornerstones are off to terrible starts. Brenton Doyle is hitting .129 with a 35.3% K rate, and Beck is hitting .091 with a 25.0% K rate.

Are they trying too hard? Are they pressing? Perhaps, but they have been in the league long enough to have gotten over that and produce.

As for McCarthy getting playing time over Beck, I don’t have the answer for that right now, other than to say that Schaeffer has been mixing and matching his lineup a lot in the early going. I think he’s searching for combinations. Let’s face it, this is an experimental season for the Rockies.

The St. Louis Browns are widely considered the worst franchise over a sustained period of 50-plus years. In their 52 years of existence, they recorded 3,414 wins and 4,465 losses for a winning percentage of .433. The Rockies currently have a winning percentage of .456. To drop from .456 to below .433 by their 52nd year, the Rockies would need to average roughly 68 wins per season (a .420 winning percentage) for the next 18 years. What do you think the odds are that the Rockies get to the .433 mark? Maybe when the Baltimore Orioles play at Coors Field someday, they can wear Browns throwback jerseys and we can wear Denver Bears strikezone jerseys.

— Ned Ryerson, Greeley

OK, “Ned Ryerson,” are you going to try to sell me some insurance? “Whoa-ho-ho! Watch out for that first step! It’s a doozy!”

Anyway, I don’t think the Rockies are ever going to experience a St. Louis Browns’ Groundhog Day.

By the way, The St. Louis Browns are perhaps history’s worst Major League franchise. The Browns played in the American League from 1902 to 1953 and managed just 11 winning seasons over that span.

They lost more than 100 games eight times, finishing dead last in the AL 10 times. They finished as high as second in the AL standings just three times. The Browns won just one pennant, in 1944, when the majors were not at full strength due to World War II. In 1954, following eight straight losing seasons, the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles.

Are you a fan of the ABS system? And might the Rockies fanbase turn its back on the team with another lousy year?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, first of all, thanks for your continued participation in my Rockies Mailbag. You picked two hot topics this week.

Regarding ABS (Automated Ball-Strike system), I do like it. It’s much more seamless than I anticipated. Fans seem to love it, and it keeps them engaged. Some umpires love it (those who get the calls right), but I’m sure some don’t. We are just 10 games into the season, so let’s see how this all plays out.

As for the fans, when the weather warms up, and the Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers come to town, Coors Field is going to be pretty full. But I do sense that the Rockies fan base is worn out from all the losing. The people I talk to are definitely in “prove-it-to-me” mode, even with the front-office changes in place.

Monday night, the announced crowd at Coors was 16,301, marking the lowest home attendance in franchise history, excluding pandemic-affected seasons. It’s something to keep an eye on if the Rockies keep losing.

Is this just normal springtime when the starters can only pick 70 or so pitches per game? It seems like the Rox are overtaxing the bullpen already. When can we expect the rotation to go later into ball games? Thanks!

— Murphy, Akron

Murphy, part of the low pitch count from Rockies starters has to do with it being early in the season, but part of it has to do with ineffectiveness.

And part of it has to do with the Rockies’ game plan, which is still a work in progress. The team has a few pitchers in the bullpen — Antonio Senzatela, Chase Dollander, and Jimmy Herget — who are capable of throwing multiple innings. I think Warren Schaeffer is going to use long relievers a lot this season.

But if a pitcher is going well, Schaeffer will give them a reasonably long leash. In Colorado’s win over the Phillies, new right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano pitched six innings and threw 78 pitches (51 strikes). It was a strong, efficient start. In the Rockies’ win over the Astros on Monday night, Ryan Feltner pitched 5 1/3 innings, throwing 70 pitches (43 strikes). I’m sure the Rockies wanted him to go deeper into the game.

Patrick, as a Rockies fan from the beginning, I’ve been wanting to ask what all these acronyms are that are being used these days, such as WAR, and others that I can’t think of at this moment. Thanks for all of your reporting and suffering during the last years of mismanagement of the team.

— Phil Donahue, Chico, Calif.

Phil, it’s easy to drown in baseball’s alphabet soup. Some fans — and reporters — are heavy into stats and analytics. I’m more of a storyteller, so perhaps a dinosaur.

However, many statistics can be useful and illuminating. If you watch Rockies games on TV, analysts Ryan Spilborghs, Cory Sullivan and Jeff Huson do a nice job of using more advanced stats.

You ask specifically about WAR. Here is the definition from Major League Baseball: WAR measures a player’s value across all facets of the game by quantifying how many more wins he’s worth than a replacement-level player at his position (e.g., a Minor League replacement or a readily available fill-in free agent).

If you want a deeper dive into the stats, I suggest you visit .

Looking at the starting rotation, I struggle to find a reason for Ryan Feltner to be there. What is Warren Schaeffer and Company’s rationale for Feltner as the fifth starter rather than Chase Dollander or Tanner Gordon, both of whom seem to be better options? Happy Opening Day, Patrick!

— Jack, Centennial

Jack, you’re preaching to the wrong choir here. I’ve been a big proponent of Feltner’s, as you can tell from my Rockies Journal from last Sunday. I think he has really good stuff, though not as dynamic as Dollander’s. Feltner just needs to harness his talent and attack the strike zone.

I’m predicting that both Feltner and Dollander will be in the rotation before the All-Star break. Gordon could be in the rotation, too, in the second half of the season if the Rockies trade any of their veteran starters who are on one-year deals.

It’s a very small sample size, but I’ve been impressed by Tomoyuki Sugano so far. Do you think he’ll re-sign after this season or is this just a one-off?

— Ryan, Wheat Ridge

Ryan, I’ve also been impressed with Sugano. He’s a crafty pitcher. He signed a one-year deal for $5.1 million, and I think he’ll be one-and-done in Colorado. He’s 36, and I don’t see the rebuilding Rockies re-signing him at age 37. If he continues to impress, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Rockies move him at the trade deadline. That’s what they should do.

Colorado entered the fifth inning of the series opener against the Astros down 3-0, and got two runs the honest way when Edouard Julien singled home a couple to cut the score to 3-2.

Then came the help from the LoDo heavens in a 9-7 win, marking the Rockies’ first consecutive victories this season.

“We put the pressure on the Astros today,” said right fielder Troy Johnston, who led the way with three hits, two RBIs, two runs scored and a mega homer. “They had a spot starter, and some trouble in the bullpen, and we took advantage.”

The Rockies plated six runs with two outs in the fifth, and Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena was at the center of three plays that extended the inning when it should’ve been over.

Pena took a bad first step off the bat on a Hunter Goodman grounder to the shortstop’s left, turning a likely out into a single. The next batter, Johnston, hit a chopper up the middle. Pena was shifted perfectly up the middle to field it and step on second for the third out, but the grounder careened off the bag into the outfield for an RBI double.

When Johnston got to second, he let out an animated shrug.

“I thought Pena made an error on the play,” Johnston said. “(Houston second baseman Jose) Altuve told me it was a double, and I didn’t believe him until I looked up at the board and saw the replay. (Sometimes) it’s better to be lucky than good.”

After T.J. Rumfield cashed in on that fortuitous home-field bounce with a two-RBI triple the next at-bat, Willi Castro roped an RBI single to make it a taco’s inning. Pena then committed an error, booting an easy grounder by Brenton Doyle, that enabled Kyle Karros to hit an RBI single a couple batters later.

All that gave Colorado an 8-3 lead, the most runs the club’s scored in an inning this season, and left the Astros visibly relieved when they jogged off the field following Julien’s lineout to left that ended the frame after 14 batters.

“It was nice to see the boys passing the baton, getting the next guy to the plate any way they could,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We took balls and we looked a lot more comfortable tonight.”

The 14-batter inning was the most for the Rockies since 2018, when they did so in a game against the Cardinals in Denver.

It was Houston that had all the momentum prior to that at-bat parade. The Astros scored twice in the opening inning off right-hander Ryan Feltner via a double by Carlos Correa and a single by Christian Walker. Then, the visitors made it 3-0 in the fourth when Cam Smith blasted a 462-foot tank to dead center off a piped Feltner fastball, the longest homer in the majors this season.

Feltner still ended up getting the win, his first such decision since September 17, 2024, in what Schaeffer called “an outing to build on.”

But after the Rockies put together their big inning off the combination of Houston pitchers Cody Bolton (making his first career start) and Ryan Weiss — a frame that also featured three walks and a sacrifice bunt — the Colorado bullpen ensured the Astros weren’t able to fully rally. Through 10 games, relievers have been a strength for the Rockies (4-6).

Houston scored one in the sixth after Feltner loaded the bases, resulting in the end of his night, but Jimmy Herget escaped the jam with only a sacrifice fly. Colorado got that run back in the bottom of the frame thanks to Johnston’s no-doubt homer to right, and the right fielder was greeted with a new celebratory purple fur coat in the dugout following the 407-foot mash.

Johnston was sitting slider on his first-pitch homer off Weiss, and the pitcher put one right in his wheelhouse. That capped a strong night for Johnston, who started out the evening with a surprise bunt single to lead off the second inning, when the ball stopped right on the line just short of third base.

Even with the Rockies in command following the fifth, in typical Coors Field fashion, the game wasn’t over until it was over.

The Astros ripped Zach Agnos in the eighth to make it 9-7, and Agnos was pulled with one out and two men in scoring position, including the tying run at second base. But Juan Mejia induced a flyout and a groundout to end the threat, then set Houston down in order in the ninth for his first save of the season and second of his career.

“That was two huge outs in the eighth inning, and then (Mejia) came back out and did the same thing in the ninth,” Schaeffer said. “His stuff is nasty and he’s got a low heartbeat, so it’s a good combo.”

Of note, the Rockies had starter Michael Lorenzen warming up in the ninth should Mejia have gotten into trouble. Schaeffer said that will be a staple for the Rockies moving forward on the right-hander’s bullpen days.

“Instead of him throwing a bullpen, he’s going to be available for an inning out of the ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “He’s come out of the ‘pen many times in his career. He wants to help the team, and we’re going to let him.”

The three-game series resumes on Tuesday night when southpaw Kyle Freeland takes on Houston right-hander Mike Burrows.

It was absent again on Saturday night in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies at Coors Field. Philly stuck it to Colorado for the ninth straight game.

The Rockies (2-6) managed just six hits, struck out 13 times, and were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. They have scored three runs or fewer in seven of the first eight games. Colorado is slashing .217/.263/.319, and its five home runs are the third-fewest in the majors. The Rockies are batting .197 (13-for-66) with runners in scoring position.

Philly starter Jesus Luzardo confounded Colorado for 6 2/3 innings, striking out 11 and walking none. He gave up one run in the third on a leadoff single by Troy Johnston, who took second on Luzardo’s wild pitch and then scored on catcher Brett Sullivan’s single to center.

Who’s hot: Right-hander Chase Dollander, Colorado’s hopeful ace of the future,  made a strong relief appearance, pitching 4 1/3 innings and striking out six. He was charged with one run on four hits and a walk. Dollander entered the game in the third inning and promptly struck out dangerous hitters Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. He got Bryce Harper to fly out to deep center to end the inning.

The Phillies nicked Dollander for a run in the fifth, utilizing a leadoff single by Brandon Marsh, who scored on Turner’s double to right.

The Rockies’ bullpen, as a whole, continued its solid start to the season. A quartet of relievers limited the Phillies to one run on six hits over 8 1/3 innings.

Who’s not:  Almost the entire Rockies lineup, but most especially center fielder Brenton Doyle, who went 0 for 3 and struck out twice as his average dipped to .148. Jordan Beck, who started in left field, is also off to a slow start. He was 0 for 3 with one strikeout and is hitting .105.

Worth noting: Colorado relievers have already thrown 40 1/3 innings, the second-most in the majors, but they hold a spiffy 3.12 ERA.

During their nine-game winning streak against the Rockies, the Phillies hold a 53-17 scoring edge.

Quotable: “I think the big thing (tonight) with the strikeout is we missed too many pitches in the zone early in the count. You can’t miss pitches in the zone early and then chase late. It’s a bad combo.” — Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer

Pitching probables

Sunday: Phillies RHP Taijuan Walker (0-1, 11.57) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (0-0, 1.93 ERA), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Astros RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 0.84 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (0-0, 0.00), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

The duel featured Rockies veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, a 2010 Thomas Jefferson High School graduate, vs. Blue Jays veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman, a 2011 Grandview High grad. Both pitchers dominated.

And don’t forget that reliever Tyler Rogers, a Colorado native who graduated from Chatfield High in 2009, pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Toronto.

But here’s the kicker you might not have seen coming: The Rockies beat the Blue Jays, 2-1, in 10 innings at the Rogers Centre to clinch the three-game series against the defending American League champions. The Rockies prevailed despite striking out 17 times.

“It was a great series for us, and we were in every single game,” Freeland told reporters in Toronto. “Our defense and pitching throughout this series have been fantastic. We were able to grind it all the way through 10 innings to get the W.”

Tyler Freeman, fresh off the injured list and stepping to the plate for the first time this season, scorched a pinch-hit single off Toronto lefty Brendon Little to drive in automatic runner Brenton Doyle from second with the go-ahead run in the 10th.

After losing three one-run games to open the season in Miami, the Rockies suddenly have a slice of momentum.

“We were in every single one of those games (in Miami),” Freeman told Rockies.TV after Colorado finished their opening road trip with a 2-4 record. “That’s who we are this year. We are going to be gritty, and we are going to go to the last out of every game.”

Gausman was nearly untouchable for six innings, allowing no runs and two hits while striking out 10 with no walks. He was perfect through four innings before shortstop Ezequiel Tovar hit a leadoff single in the fifth after an 11-pitch battle.

After two starts this season, Gausman has a 0.75 ERA and has whiffed 21. Gausman, 35, is the only pitcher since 1900 to strike out 10 or more and walk none in each of his first two starts of a season.

But Freeland nearly matched him: five innings, one run allowed on five hits with  6 Ks and one walk.

While the split-finger-throwing Gausman was barely pressed, Freeland was stressed to the max in Toronto’s one-run third inning. He gave up an RBI single to Davis Schneider and then plunked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to load the bases. But Freeland punched out cleanup hitter Kazuma Okamoto and got Alejandro Kirk to line out to second to snuff the rally.

“Gausman was good, and Freeland matched him,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters. “Freeland was gutsy, getting through that bases-loaded jam. He kept it right where we needed him to. ‘Free’ gave us everything he had.”

Freeland, who’s beginning his 10th season with the Rockies, had all of his pitches working.

“My fastball didn’t feel great in the ‘pen, but I found it out on the game mound,” said Freeland, who threw 60 of his 88 pitches for strikes. “Every pitch in the arsenal was working, especially my sweeper and curveball. They were my bread and butter today, along with my fastball. I was able to get a lot of weak contact and a lot of swing and miss.”

Freeland tipped his cap to Freeland.

“‘Free’ is our captain, and we’re behind him every step of the way,” he said. “He was unbelievable on the mound. Once he gets going, you see all of us get going.”

The Rockies are off on Thursday before hosting the Phillies on Friday afternoon in the home opener at Coors Field.

“I can’t wait,” Schaeffer said. “We have been waiting months for this, to get back home to Denver and the blue sky at Coors Field.”

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day

Friday: Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (0-0, 5.40 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 6.22), 2:10 p.m.

Saturday: Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (0-1, 9.00) at Rockies LHP LHP Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.15), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Phillies RHP Taijuan Walker (0-1, 11.57) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (0-0, 1.93), 1:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM