Prior to the matinee rubber match on Wednesday against Baltimore at Coors Field, the Rockies manager spoke at length about the frustration he’s been dealing with amid the club’s struggles in close games this season.

“What’s most frustrating for me is when you’re getting close, and (you keep) getting closer, but you’re still losing,” Schaeffer said. “But that is when you take the 1,000-foot view and you back up, and you look at last year compared to this year, and you look at where we’re going — you can see all the progress.

“You can see it that we’re in those games, and the enormous chasm between last year and this year. We’ve lost a ton of close ballgames this year. Last year we weren’t in (very many) close ball games. That in itself has been a step forward that we’re in them. Now we need to win them more, like we did (Tuesday) night.”

The Rockies did just that on Wednesday, rallying in the ninth and then again in the 11th to win the game on Brett Sullivan‘s two-out, two-strike, two-run walk-off single to take the game 6-5 as well as the series.

Two frames prior, Colorado was also down to its final out, but rookies Cole Carrigg and Zac Veen came through to tie the game and send it into extras. With two outs, Carrigg doubled, then Veen followed with a two-strike, pinch-hit double to tie the game 3-3.

Renck: Rockies’ Cole Carrigg can’t give fans the bird, but Colorado needs his edge to win

Colorado is now 28-41 in games decided by one or two runs this year. Despite that mark, Schaeffer says there is much more belief in this year's clubhouse than there was during last year's historic 119-loss season.

"(Our players) expect to win," Schaeffer said. "I don't know if that was always necessarily the case last year."

Wednesday's dramatics capped a strong series for the Rockies against Baltimore, who is in contention in the American League wild card race. It would've been a sweep for Colorado if not for a incredible web game in Monday's series opener.

The Rockies achieved franchise infamy that night with a record-setting 10th straight loss at Coors Field that came in brutal fashion. Colton Cowser robbed Jake McCarthy of a would-be two-run walk-off homer by leaping up and snaring McCarthy's hit that was headed over the center field wall.

WHEN COWS FLY

COLTON COWSER HOME RUN ROBBERY TO END IT!!

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles)

In a streak that began with a sweep by the Rays in early August, Colorado was also swept by the Dodgers and Guardians en route to Monday's record-setting 2-1 loss, which eclipsed the previous longest home defeat streak set by the inaugural 1993 squad at Mile High Stadium.

Colorado finally snapped that skid on Tuesday, using a two-run homer by TJ Rumfield in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. Juan Mejia held the fort in the eighth and Jordan Romano recorded his 14th save in the ninth to cement the 4-2 win.

Rumfield's 14th homer continued his torrid debut season that has him in the conversation for NL Rookie of the Year, even as Reds corner infielder Sal Stewart is currently the Vegas favorite to win the award. Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt had been the frontrunner for most of the season, but has slumped in the second half and was earlier this week.

In terms of Rumfield versus Stewart comparison, the Rockies first baseman is slashing .290/.384/.443 with an .827 OPS, 14 homers, 26 doubles and 63 RBIs. Meanwhile, the all-star Stewart is slashing .268/.338/.489 with an identical .827 OPS, 31 homers, 25 doubles and an MLB-leading 105 RBIs.

While Rumfield has been impressive swinging the bat, his plate discipline also stands out. He's riding a 10-game on-base streak, and his 64 walks are four short of surpassing Dexter Fowler for the most walks by a rookie in franchise history. And there's still more room for improvement there, as Rumfield is swinging at 30.5% of pitches outside the zone, which ranks in the 41st percentile.

Following Rumfield and solid pitching lifting Colorado to the win in Game 2, in Wednesday's rubber match, it appeared the Rockies would revert back to this season's norm: unable to find a way to break through in tight games.

After forcing extras, Baltimore plated two in the top of the 11th to go ahead 5-3. Colorado responded with Rumfield's leadoff RBI single in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to a run.

Adael Amador nearly homered with two outs and Rumfield on first, but the ball came up just short of going out, then bounced over the wall and out of play for a ground-rule double. Had the ball stayed in play, Rumfield would've easily scored to tie the game.

But Sullivan came through the next at-bat with the game-ending heroics.

"Sometimes it doesn't go our way, and there's reasons for that... but today, the grind, the never-give-up, the amount of two-strike knocks... what a game," Schaeffer said. "That was awesome."

After an off day on Thursday, Colorado's homestand continues Friday with the start of a three-game series against the Cardinals. The Rockies (54-86) need to go 9-13 over their remaining 22 games to avoid a fourth consecutive 100-loss season.

Rockies Cole Carrigg flipped off fans in Atlanta on Saturday, and manager Warren Schaeffer punished the center fielder by not starting him in consecutive games.

He entered as a late-inning substitute in both cases.

Were you rolling your eyes? Me too. So I decided to look closer and ask those involved.

The conclusion: The incident will make Carrigg better if it helps him find the correct temperature for his simmering default setting.

“I know I can’t do what I did (in Atlanta). And it is not going to happen again,” Carrigg told The Post of a reaction that stemmed from narrowly missing a game-winning catch and a group of fans letting him have it over two days. “But, I am not going to change anything in how I play.”

Needle meet thread. As the Rockies suffer through a mouth-agape 10-game home losing streak, players like Carrigg represent hope.

For years, the Rockies have not only been bad, but soft. The lack of consequences for inept players and incompetent executives made losing comfortable.

Carrigg plays full throttle, in-your-face, unapologetically. It’s refreshing.

It is also easy to see why there will soon be no neutrality from opponents as he becomes an established big leaguer. They will either dislike him or hate him.

“And we love Cole. I want to make that very clear,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said from his office before batting practice. “We have needed an edge on this team, and we get that from Cole, and to a lesser extent Zac (Veen). You can’t hope for something, want something and when it gets here, you try to change it. I refuse to muzzle him. I want him to be who he is without crossing the line. And I believe we can accomplish both things.”

Carrigg would rather use a splinter from one of the countless bats he has broken to floss his teeth than fail. He plays like he is trying to get even with someone.

This competitive gene will help the Rockies execute a U-turn. A team that has forever been a pushover has someone who will push back.

“You can’t make that kind of gesture to the fans. But Cole is on the short list of our most exciting players to watch. Our opponents feel him,” general manager Josh Byrnes said. “He runs hot at times. And that is why it was good for him to have a chance to reflect on what he did.”

The punishment came across as half-baked. Like grounding a child without taking away their phone and video game privileges. My preference was to bench him Sunday — all nine innings — and move on.

But Schaeffer believes that stretching it over two games had a greater impact.

“If he had just sat one game, it would have been like a regular day off,” Schaeffer said. “So how do you want to get the message across? To do it this way was not normal for him. He felt it. He understands what he did was wrong. And listen, I trust him moving forward.”

Schaeffer knows Carrigg better than most. As a manager, these are the type of decisions he must nail when evaluating the Rockies’ trajectory under his watch.

The good news is that he did not make excuses for Carrigg. Accountability is lacking in sports, but Schaeffer refused to let him off the hook.

What happens next will reveal whether it worked.

“You are definitely on to something,” Carrigg said. “As the game gets harder, I have to adjust.”

Watching Carrigg, he gives off Troy Tulowitzki vibes. I covered Tulo’s entire career in Colorado. He arrived with infectious belief and played with the equivalent of a clenched fist.

He was more talented than Carrigg.

But as a young player, like Carrigg, he spewed lava.

Tulo once broke a bat so violently that he landed on the disabled list with an injured hand. Carrigg reacts to outs like he was cut off in traffic, letting out words that must be muted on the broadcast.

Several helmets and bats have lost their lives to his temper.

“Do I feel badly for the (equipment)? No,” Carrigg said matter-of-factly. “They are free.”

Again, his personality is more sandpaper than satin. This is why I like him.

You win with players like this. Balance, though, is required. The Rockies need a percolating Carrigg. He will lose his usefulness — and test his teammates’ patience — if he must always be handled with oven mitts.

“I can learn from guys like Kyle (Freeland) and Jake (McCarthy), who just let stuff go. It works for them. It is a really hard thing to do. I get frustrated,” said Carrigg, who is hitting .260 with six home runs, 27 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases in 69 games. “I put a lot of (bleeping) effort into my craft, and I expect to do well. When I don’t, I get pissed off.”

Baseball is a series of solo performances in a concert. It feeds egos because players are defined by numbers. Byrnes and Schaeffer don’t see Carrigg as “selfish.” They believe he is driven by the standings.

“He has so much passion for the competition, for doing well and helping his team,” Byrnes said. “Some of it is just him finding the right dial setting.”

Carrigg went too far in Atlanta. He cannot let hecklers get in his head. He must wake up seeing rouge, not red.

Yet, he cannot change who he is. If you want to flip out over him flipping someone off, I understand. There is no place for it.

But the confidence and fury of Carrigg’s game? Yes, please.

Carrigg will show he has taken full responsibility if he does not repeat his actions.

The Rockies don’t need obscenities. They need his hostility.

“If I am frustrated, I need to go in the tunnel and not let it affect my teammates and be smarter about it,” Carrigg said. “But I have always played balls to the wall. And I am going to continue to do that for the rest of my career.”

Colorado was swept by the Braves on Sunday, finishing a 2-5 road trip to fall to 52-85 on the season. The Rockies, who start a six-game homestand on Monday against Baltimore, need to go 11-14 in the remaining 25 games to avoid becoming the fifth MLB franchise to lose 100-plus games four seasons in a row.

This weekend at Truist Park in Atlanta, Colorado dropped three straight close games following a series split in Washington.

Michael Harris II homered and had three RBIs in the Braves’ 6-4 win in Friday’s series opener. On Saturday, Harris’ two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning lifted Atlanta to a 2-1 victory as Colorado batted 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. And in the home team’s 3-2 win in 10 innings on Sunday, Matt Olson’s walk-off RBI single sent the Braves to their seventh straight win.

The walk-off cemented Colorado’s 10th time being swept this season, and continued the Rockies’ struggles against Atlanta. The Rockies were 0-6 against the National League East leaders this year, and have gone 6-26 against the Braves since 2022, including 3-13 at Truist Park.

Here’s three takeaways from the rough road trip:

Cole Carrigg in timeout… sort of

The rookie was caught on the Rockies telecast flipping the bird to the Atlanta fans after the center fielder Harris’ decisive double in the gap in the eighth inning on Saturday that gave the Braves a 2-1 lead. Ahead of the game on Sunday, manager Warren Schaeffer that Carrigg was “going to sit a couple days” as punishment for the gesture, which Schaeffer called an “embarrassment.” But then Carrigg pinched hit in the seventh inning on Sunday, striking out, and remained in the game on defense.

Rumfield’s Rookie of the Year candidacy

First baseman TJ Rumfield continues to make a strong case to be in the conversation for NL Rookie of the Year. He’s slashing .289/.380/.437 with 13 homers and 3.2 bWAR. His average and on-base percentage are first among qualified NL rookies, and he’s second in slugging and OPS (.820). This week, he joined Larry Walker as the only Rockies hitters to have at least 10 walks and no strikeouts over a four-game span, a feat that only three other players have accomplished since 1997 — Carlos Santana, Barry Bonds (eight times) and Gary Sheffield.

Rockies flailing in crunch time

Colorado hasn’t played well with the game on the line this year. The defeats on Saturday and Sunday at Truist Park were the Rockies’ 19th and 20th last at-bat losses of the season, tied for the most in the NL with the Cardinals. Plus, they are 2-7 in extra-inning games this season, the worst record in the majors, while their 40 losses by two or fewer runs are the fourth-most. Colorado’s seven walk-off losses are the most in club history since 2014, when the Rockies lost 11 games that way. They are 16-20 in one-run games, including just one win in the last seven.

ATLANTA — Michael Harris II hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies, the sixth straight for the National League East leaders.

Brent Suter (2-2) pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and picked up his first victory since joining the Braves at the trade deadline. Rookie Didier Fuentes allowed two baserunners in the ninth but retired Jake McCarthy to end the game and pick up his third save.

Harris lifted a fly ball to left center field that was just out of the diving reach of Cole Carrigg and scored Matt Olson from second and Mauricio Dubón from first.

Scheduled Rockies starter Ryan Feltner due to illness and replaced with Zach Agnos as manager Warren Schaeffer went with a bullpen game, using six pitchers. Jaden Hill (0-3) surrendered Harris’ double in the eighth.

The Rockies entered the game with an MLB-worst 5.54 team ERA but came within four outs of just their second shutout of the season.

Colorado’s lone run came in the sixth inning when Castro knocked Braves starter Martín Pérez with a bases-loaded single that scored Hunter Goodman. Pérez, who was seeking his 100th career win, struck out six in 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits.

Connor Norby was 2 for 3 for the Rockies, who entered the game having lost 9 of 11.

In the seventh inning, home plate umpire Ron Kulpa took a foul ball from Ozzie Albies off the facemask and left the game after meeting with the Braves athletic training staff. The game was delayed 13 minutes as he was replaced by Manny Gonzalez.

MLB said in a statement that Kulpa was being evaluated under concussion protocols and that, at a minimum, he would be off the field Sunday.

The game was delayed 16 minutes at the start due to rain.

Up next

Braves RHP Tyler Mahle (5-10, 4.41) will face Rockies RHP Mason Adams (0-0, 2.25) to wrap up the three-game series Sunday.

Giants catcher Drew Cavanaugh had just blocked a pitch, and the ball sat right under his feet. Veen, taking an aggressive lead off third, took advantage of the moment. His helmet flew off as he dashed home, slid head first into the plate to beat Cavanaugh’s tag, and then popped up with his sunglasses falling off his face and screamed.

“I saw the ball in a spot where I didn’t think (Cavanaugh) was going to see it,” Veen said. “So I just went for it.

“I’d say I’m always trying to anticipate anything happening. I’d also say I’m playing with a lot of faith right now — just going out there and doing what feels natural, and letting (the game) take care of itself.”

The play epitomized the Rockies’ Zac Veen Thrill Ride, which also features a complementing counterpart in rookie utilityman Cole Carrigg, who possesses the same speed and fearlessness as Veen. Colorado farm director Chris Forbes has described Carrigg as a “wild stallion” and a “GTO.”

Together, those two young players are capable of providing a spark that the lagging Rockies franchise desperately needs as part of the plan to eventually return to contention.

“They’re two different players, but they are two players who play without fear and don’t care what it looks like out there,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “They don’t care what anybody thinks about them. They are just going to play the way they play.”

For Veen, his return to the majors this season following a brief stint last year came after addressing his substance abuse issues and then dominating all summer in Triple-A.

The 2020 No. 9 overall pick is hitting .333 with a couple homers through his first six games of 2026, and while his plate discipline has shown drastic improvement, Schaeffer says Veen’s maturity off the field has been the most impactful aspect in his developmental jump.

“The biggest adjustment has been how he’s taking care of himself off the field,” Schaeffer said. “Which has allowed him to prepare better, which has allowed his mind to be locked in, his being to be free. You can’t put a price tag on that, and I couldn’t be more proud of that and I’m happy for him.”

Meanwhile, Carrigg — who debuted June 9 — has emerged as a lineup and defensive pillar. While seeing starts in center field and, more recently, shortstop, the 2023 second-round pick is slashing .284/.367/.474 with 5 homers and 34 RBIs through his first 58 big-league games. Carrigg’s near-elite speed element is similar to Veen’s, as both players’ sprint speed ranks in the top 15% of baseball.

“What (Carrigg) has done speaks for itself,” veteran outfielder Mickey Moniak said. “He’s come up here hungry, playing free. That’s what we want him to do. You’re seeing his talent show through his numbers and what he means to our offense, and causing chaos on the bases.

“(That energy) is something we talked about in spring training. It’s something we wanted our identity to be. He’s a perfect example of that.”

Both Veen and Carrigg have quickly emerged as favorites for a fanbase desperate for exciting up-and-coming talent to latch onto. Both players wear their emotions on their sleeve on the diamond, especially Carrigg.

He’s after a bad at-bat. He swears in the box when he misses a pitch he thought he should’ve mashed, sometimes causing the TV audio to briefly cut out for those watching at home. He was at the center of a bases-clearing incident on July 6 in Los Angeles, when Carrigg and Rushing exchanged words after a play at the plate.

As Moniak explains regarding Carrigg’s competitive fire, “what you see is what you get.”

“He plays (the soccer tabletop game) Biñho with (third baseman Kyle) Karros all the time in the clubhouse,” Moniak said. “You’ll hear Carrigg yelling from across the hallway. Anything he’s playing, he’s competitive. He’s yelling and getting feisty.”

Carrigg vows that fiery nature won’t change, though he acknowledged he’s still working on ensuring tough moments don’t stay with him throughout a game.

“I’ll always have that competitive nature, that competitive edge,” Carrigg said. “(That comes from) being the best player that I can be to help my team win ballgames, and if I’m not doing that at any point in time, I’m going to be rather upset about it.

“But that’s something I’m definitely still working on to not let it (simmer in my mind) — whether it’s traveling (with that emotion) into the dugout or whatnot, I just try to keep it to myself as much as I can. But I’ve always been a super competitive-edge type of player, and I’ll always be like that.”

While Carrigg vows to harness his emotions, Veen continues to approach each game from a place of gratitude. It was not long ago that Veen was skating on thin ice within the organization, especially after the outfielder was benched for a stint last year after he was caught smoking marijuana during a Triple-A game at Isotopes Park.

But Veen showed up to spring training sober from weed and alcohol, and has been attending recovery meetings all season. Getting sober also led to a marked physical change for the outfielder who can play all three spots. After playing last season at around 195 pounds, Veen was about 250 pounds in spring training, and his playing weight this season has been approximately 225 pounds.

“I think that (weight is) probably the best version of myself,” Veen said. “… Ultimately last year, I think I took the field kind of just knowing how good I was and I never really understood how grateful I was to be here and in this locker room, or any locker room. I’m just so grateful and blessed. So every day I come in here (to the majors), it’s just a reminder of trying to be the best I can be.”

Neither Veen nor Carrigg is anywhere close to a complete product, but they both could be part of Colorado’s long-term rebuilding plan. That is barring an offseason trade in which Veen, amid the club’s outfield depth, is the more likely candidate to be shopped for the Rockies’ most in-demand element: starting pitching depth.

With minimal service time and both having minor-league options remaining should they hit rough patches, the Rockies can continue to develop the sparkplugs into big-league veterans over the next six seasons while they are under club control.

The Rockies designated Lorenzen for assignment on Monday ahead of the series opener against the Dodgers at Coors Field, ending the one-year experiment with the veteran who never was able to find any semblance of a rhythm in purple pinstripes. A 2023 all-star with the Tigers who also threw a no-hitter later that season with the Phillies, Lorenzen posted a career-worst year for the Rockies.

Playing on a , Lorenzen’s Coors Field debut for the Rockies offered an early warning for his struggles this season. In that 10-1 drubbing by the Phillies on April 3, the 34-year-old was blasted for nine runs on 12 hits in three innings in the worst home opener loss in franchise history. Philadelphia was up 3-0 before Lorenzen even recorded an out, and posted seven runs in the opening inning.

It didn’t get much better from there for Lorenzen, who leads the majors in hits (168) and earned runs (91) while opposing hitters ripped him for a .338 average, also the worst in baseball. His 7.08 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) is the highest ERA in baseball for pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. And Lorenzen’s hard-hit rate is 42.6%, the second-worst in the majors only behind another Colorado arm, southpaw Kyle Freeland’s 45.2%.

“It was just time,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said of Lorenzen’s DFA in one of the biggest understatements of the Rockies’ season. Lorenzen ranked toward the bottom in as his eight-pitch mix was utterly ineffective at Coors Field, where he posted a 9.12 ERA in 11 starts.

If Lorenzen isn’t claimed on waivers, he’d be released, and the Rockies will owe him a $250,000 buyout that is part of his club option for 2027. Lorenzen’s departure opens a door for right-hander Tanner Gordon to re-join the rotation as a proving grounds for the rest of the season.

Gordon, 28, has a 5.55 ERA in 17 games (five starts) this season. He posted a 8.65 ERA in eight starts as a rookie in 2024, then a 6.33 ERA in 15 starts last season. The rest of the season will be a chance to show he’s improved enough to warrant a shot at starting in 2027. Gordon’s pitched much better in the second half, with a 3.43 ERA in five relief appearances.

“He’s going to get a shot to pitch every fifth day, and he just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing lately,” Schaeffer said.

Also of note regarding the rotation, right-hander Mason Adams — acquired at the deadline in the trade that sent Brenton Doyle to the White Sox — is off to a good start with Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s allowed two runs over a pair of four-inning starts. Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said that Adams will get a shot in the rotation either this season or early in ’27.

TJ Shook’s re-arrival. In a corresponding move to Lorenzen’s DFA, the Rockies recalled right-hander TJ Shook from Triple-A. Shook has a 3.02 ERA in 40 games with the Isotopes this season, including 28 games finished and 11 saves.

Colorado will use Shook in a variety of ways out of the bullpen, and Shook says he made adjustments since his debut in June, when he was blasted to the tune of a 9.53 ERA in four games before being sent down. Shook, a starter-turned-reliever, was acquired by the Rockies from the Mets with the first overall pick in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft in December.

“(I used that first MLB stint) to see how my stuff plays (at Coors Field) and I went back to look at some video, fine-tuned some mechanical things on the lower half, and my body’s feeling good, arm’s feeling good, and hopefully I get out there and throw up some zeroes,” Shook said.

Hunter Goodman update. The Rockies’ all-star catcher didn’t play in the series against the Giants over the weekend in San Francisco due to left shoulder inflammation that occurred from a swing in the previous series in Arizona.

Goodman was a scratch again on Monday, and Schaeffer says he remains day-to-day, but didn’t rule out of the possibility of a stint to the injured list. He will be re-evaluated ahead of Tuesday’s game. Missing these games is dwindling Goodman’s outside shot at the franchise home run record of 49, set by Larry Walker in 1997 and Todd Helton in 2001.

Brett Sullivan has been catching in Goodman’s place. The Rockies don’t have another catcher on the roster, so should something happen to Sullivan while Goodman is unavailable, Colorado’s likely emergency catcher is Cole Carrigg. The rookie played the position briefly in college and in the lower minors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Up next

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

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

SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb gave up four hits and one run in six innings, Drew Gilbert had three hits including a home run and three RBIs, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-1 on Saturday.

Webb (8-7) struck out seven and did not issue a walk and secured his 1,100th career strikeout when he fanned Zac Veen swinging on a four-seam fastball in the second inning.

Gilbert got San Francisco on the board in the third with a home run just over the right field wall.

The Giants scored six runs in fourth inning. Turner Hill, in his major league debut, got the rally started with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Gilbert hit a two-run single, prompting Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer to pull starter Michael Lorenzen (3-11).

Lorenzen allowed four hits, six earned runs, and walked three batters in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 82 pitches.

Rafael Devers knocked in a run on a ground-rule double down the left field line, Gilbert scored on a wild pitch by reliever Parker Mushinski, and Bryce Eldridge batted in one more run for a 7-1 lead.

Webb took a hit to the right shoulder area on a comebacker in the fifth but continued pitching after the Giants’ medical staff came to the mound to check on him. The righty was relieved by Carson Seymour after the sixth inning. Seymour only allowed one more hit in two innings. Dylan Smith closed out the ninth.

Cole Carrigg drove in Colorado’s run in the third.

San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee added two hits and a walk. It was the fifth time this season the Giants’ offense had 10 or more hits.

Colorado finished with five hits and had its three-game winning streak halted.

Up next

San Francisco’s RHP Blade Tidwell (0-0, 2.78 ERA) opposes Colorado’s RHP Gabriel Hughes on Sunday for the final game of the series.

After dropping Monday’s series opener, Colorado rallied with wins on Tuesday and Wednesday to take the series, snapping an eight-series losing streak on the road.

It also broke a longer road series drought within the National League West, as Colorado had previously lost 20 straight road series against NL West teams, tied for the longest such streak against divisional opponents by any team in the Divisional Era (since 1969).

Here are five takeaways from the series victory as Colorado now heads to San Francisco for a three-game series this weekend, before returning to Coors Field on Monday to face the two-time defending champion Dodgers.

The league is adjusting to Gabriel Hughes. Can he adjust back? Following a solid first month in the big leagues in which the rookie right-hander posted a 3.33 ERA over five games, Hughes has come back down to earth in his last two starts.

The Rays tagged him for five runs in five-plus innings on Aug. 4, before the D-backs blitzed him for 7 runs in 4 innings in Monday’s series opener to inflate his ERA to 5.61. Struggles were inevitable for Hughes, especially considering he ranks in the bottom fifth of baseball in average fastball velocity at 92.3 mph. How Hughes responds down the stretch will be telling for his rotational role in 2027.

Nolan Arenado reaffirms Hall of Fame future against former team. The Arizona third baseman was central in blowing up Hughes in Monday’s opening inning, launching his eighth career grand slam. Now in his 14th big-league season, and with a year left that will take him through his age-36 season, the longtime Colorado fan favorite remains on a trajectory toward Cooperstown.

No, he doesn’t have quite the power he once did. He hasn’t won a Gold Glove Award in four years. But even in his mid-30s, he remains a solid player. He is on track, or ahead of pace, to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame after he retires by numerous statistical predictors, including the Black Ink, Gray Ink, Hall of Fame Monitor and .

The biggest question left: Will his plaque have a Rockies cap or a Cardinals one? Arenado’s peak years largely came with Colorado, but his departure from LoDo came on a sour note.

Sugano has been stellar — and the Rockies should try to re-sign him. The Japanese starter gave up a pair of solo homers in the first inning of Tuesday’s game, then promptly settled in for a quality start by throwing five shutout innings. When Colorado’s mid-game rally put Sugano in line for the win, he became only the sixth Colorado pitcher to win 12 of his first 17 decisions in a season, and the first to do so since German Marquez in 2019.

The Rockies went 1-for-3 signing veteran free-agent starters this offseason — Jose Quintana hasn’t pitched since late May , and Michael Lorenzen hasn’t been good with a career-high 6.83 ERA. But by hitting on Sugano, the Rockies found a guy who can pitch at elevation (3.93 ERA in 10 starts at Coors Field) and whom they should make a push to bring back in 2027 considering the team’s thin options in the rotation.

Sugano might want to try and sign with a contender, where he could be a valuable back-end starter, but it’s worth a try for Colorado to pursue him again after the club got its money’s worth out of the 36-year-old’s one-year, $5.1 million deal this season.

Veen makes an immediate splash in his season debut. Outfielder Zac Veen, recalled from Triple-A Albuqurque on Tuesday, made his impact felt in Wednesday’s game when he hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for his first hit of the season. Veen played briefly in the majors last year after debuting, then spent the rest of the season in Triple-A, where he raked all summer before this week’s promotion.

Considering Colorado’s outfield depth, maybe Veen plays well enough down the stretch to stoke front-office confidence that he can be a future lineup pillar. On the other side of the coin, maybe a solid August/September performance makes him a trade candidate.

Whatever happens, there are a lot of cooks in the Colorado outfield kitchen right now, and somebody is likely to be offseason trade bait for starting pitching. It won’t be Mickey Moniak (just signed a new two-year contract) or promising rookie Cole Carrigg, but Veen, Jordan Beck, Troy Johnston and/or Jake McCarthy could all be on the block come November.

The road to avoiding 100 losses is getting tight. Even with the 6-4 win in Wednesday’s series finale, which was much-needed considering the Rockies are now just 4-13 in rubber games this season, the window to avoid becoming the fifth MLB franchise with four seasons of 100-plus losses is narrowing.

The Rockies (48-73) need to go 15-26 down the stretch to avoid 100 losses, a .365 winning percentage that’s slightly lower than its current winning percentage of .397. But keep in mind that 12 of the Rockies’ 13 remaining series are against teams that are in playoff contention. Colorado will just miss further infamy and finish with 98 losses.

McCarthy gave Colorado the lead on the first pitch of the game with his 420-foot drive to right-center field off Matthew Liberatore (5-9), and the Rockies went on to snap a four-game skid.

McCarthy hit his second of the game and 13th of the season in the sixth. He is hitting .305 and has seven hits in his last two games.

Liberatore went five innings and struck out three while giving up five runs on nine hits.

José Fermín had a two-run double to put the Cardinals ahead, but Carrigg hit a two-run double of his own in the third that gave the Rockies the lead for good. Hunter Goodman drove in one more before the end of the inning.

Rumfield got another across in the fifth, and McCarthy belted a two-run shot to center in the sixth.

The Cardinals got within two after Jordan Walker’s eighth-inning homer, and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Jordan Romano struck out César Prieto swinging for his 10th save.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland tossed 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three, and allowed five hits and three runs (one earned).

Five relievers combined to hold the Cardinals to two hits and three runs. Parker Mushinski (1-0) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win.

Up next

RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-10, 6.94 ERA) starts for Colorado opposite Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.59) in the series finale on Sunday.