Fulford hit a two-run, two-out, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning off Mason Montgomery to lead the Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Pirates at Coors Field in front of a Friday night crowd of 33,596.

Fulford drove in Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg, who scratched out back-to-back two-out singles off Montgomery.

“I had been warming up in the cage for that at-bat for a couple of innings, so I felt pretty prepared,” Fulford said. “I got an advantage count (3-1) and I knew he was going to come with the heater and I was all over it.”

Fulford caught Montgomery for three seasons at Texas Tech, so he knew the left-hander’s tendencies.

“It’s kind of unfortunate for pitchers that you catch, because you kind of get to see their stuff,” Fulford said. “You kind of understand more of who they are. So I do feel like I had the advantage there.”

In the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases against Senzatela with no outs on a single by Marcell Ozuna and an error on a groundball by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. But Senzatela struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan and induced Jared Triolo to ground to Tovar, who started the game-ending double play.

“It was kind of a crazy ending to the game — bases loaded and no outs,” Freeland said. ” ‘Senza’ got a big punchout in that situation, picks up Tovar. Then Tovar gets another opportunity to turn a double play, and he gets it done.”

Before all of the late-game drama, Freeland pitched his best game of the season: 7 1/3 innings, two runs allowed on four hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. It marked the fourth time in his career that he pitched 7 1/3 or more innings.

“Tonight, I thought he was absolutely exceptional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I thought his body language was impressive. He attacked the strike zone — relentlessly. His heater had good ‘vert’ tonight. The breaker was good. It seemed like he was in control all night.”

“Gritty” is the word often used to describe Freeland. Dominant was a more apt description on Friday night. History-making works, too. Freeland’s eight Ks gave him 1,001 for his career, joining right-hander German Marquez (1,069) as the only two pitchers in franchise history to eclipse 1,000. Freeland struck out Marcell Ozuna in the seventh for No. 1,000, and then promptly fanned Brandon Lowe for 1,001.

The hard-core Rockies fans behind the dugout gave Freeland a standing ovation.

“I’m very grateful for the fans always supporting me, and for making it this long in my career to reach some of these milestones, especially with one ballclub,”  said Freeland, who struck out eight and walked none for the second time in his career. “I definitely hear those fans when I pop out of the dugout after every inning.”

The 33-year-old Denver native blanked the Pirates for the first seven innings, giving up just two hits. Pittsburgh finally got to Freeland in the eighth, putting up back-to-back doubles by Esmerlyn Valdez and Triolo to cut Colorado’s lead to 2-1. Up to that point, it looked as if Freeland had the juice to throw a complete game, especially since he threw just 81 pitches.

Freeland was pulled in the eighth for right-hander Jaden Hill, who gave up an RBI single up the middle to pinch-hitter Bryan Reynolds, tying the game, 2-2. Then Hill hit leadoff hitter Spencer Horowitz, and Nick Gonzalez scorched a triple off the right-field wall, scoring Horowitz and giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Colorado staked a 1-0 lead in the third against hard-throwing right-hander Bubba Chandler. Willi Castro’s single scored Ezequiel Tovar, who reached on a bunt single.

The Rockies extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth on rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield’s leadoff homer. He sent Chandler’s first-pitch slider 427 feet into the right-field seats. It was Rumfield’s 11th homer and his 38th RBI.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (6-6, 2.85 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (7-4, 4.54), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Pirates RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.13), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Fans saw him on Saturday’s probable list and began hitting up friends or searching online for tickets.

At the same time, a question arrives via email and text: Will the Rockies ever have their version of Skenes?

They did. In 2010.

Ubaldo Jimenez posted a 19-8 record with a 2.88 ERA.

He threw a no-hitter at Atlanta. In the span of seven starts, he allowed fewer than two hits four times.  He started the All-Star Game in Anaheim when he was 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA.

His four-seam fastball averaged 96.1 mph, per PITCHf/x data. His sinker — a bowling ball with devil’s horns — averaged 96.6 mph. For comparison, Skenes’ heater checks in at 97.1 mph this season.

Jimenez became Kevin Brown with Greg Maddux’s command, working 221 2/3 innings in 2010, third-most in Rockies’ history.

It is no coincidence that Colorado made the playoffs in 2007 and 2009 with Jimenez in the rotation. Because of an awkward exit in a trade, Jimenez remains one of the most underappreciated Rockies ever. He went 56-45 with a 3.66 ERA in six seasons, including 30-19 with a 3.66 ERA at Coors Field in 67 games.

The Rockies need a fire-breathing dragon.

They thought they had one in Chase Dollander, but he is facing elbow surgery.

With Skenes set to pitch at Coors Field — he is comfortable in Colorado after starring at Air Force — I figured it was a good time to catch up with Jimenez.

He still follows the Rockies — he took the mound in Denver last August when the Savannah Bananas were in town — and has ideas on how to help.

His first suggestion: stop letting starters run from the problem.

“In my opinion, they have to develop pitchers for Coors Field. They should avoid the mistake of emulating what the rest of MLB organizations are doing when it comes to preparation. They have to implement their own way,” Jimenez said. “To be a consistent starter in Colorado, your body requires endurance to resist the hardships of altitude and adaptations of going on the road. All the pitchers who were consistent in any kind of way — Pedro Astacio, Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, German Marquez, myself — we all ran distance the day after our games. I am an avid believer in running distance to stay healthy. And I always tell people who go against it, check baseball history and see how the all-time great ones lasted — running distance! ”

Jimenez understands that his advice jogs against the grain.

Today’s pitchers typically use short bursts and explosive movements in training to mimic moves made on the mound. There is no denying it has spiked velocity. It is impossible to watch a game and not see a pitcher flirt with triple digits or, in the case of Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, live there.

But at what cost?

Dollander, if and when he has surgery, will miss the remainder of this season and possibly all of 2027.

“I know. It’s so bad to think about that. I saw him pitch a couple of games,” Jimenez said. “And he has great stuff.”

Though the upcoming draft could change things, there is no other Dollander in the Rockies’ system. Brody Brecht, drafted in 2024, brings heat, but is struggling with command at Class-A Spokane.

Jimenez prescribes “an attitude for altitude.” He looks across the sport and connects injuries to training.

Brian Jordan, a former Rockies strength-and-conditioning coach in the majors and minors for 15 years, saw firsthand how Jimenez’s program paid dividends.

“He was very gifted and a very hard worker. I would agree that his running and lifting helped with his durability, while he was still explosive,” said Jordan, the owner and director of sports performance at Peak 303 in Englewood. “While not every pitcher could or should do the program he did, I absolutely agree that generally speaking mistakes are being made with how pitchers are being trained. When you sell out solely for performance, the trade-off is less durability. We are definitely seeing that at all levels, not just at the professional level.”

The Rockies raced off to a surprising start in April because of their pitching — 4.17 staff ERA — but the transmission dropped. Due to injuries to Jose Quintana, Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner and Dollander, they have been forced to lean on younger arms and too hard on the bullpen. Colorado is 14-29 since May 1 with an ERA well north of 6.

“It has been a reminder that Coors Field games have more hits. And there are more home runs in the warm weather. The toll is a hard test,” Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes said on returning to work in Colorado for the first time since 2002. “We have looked at how many days off the (relievers) have had, and how many multiple-inning games they’ve had. We are still exploring and learning.”

There is no perfect formula. Even in seasons when the Rockies have pitched well, they have struggled to repeat their success.

But Jimenez is adamant that Colorado’s environment demands the proper baseline.

“I know that we should adapt to new times and use every resource to get better. And that pitchers must adjust preparation to what works for them. But you can’t eradicate the foundation of pitching longevity. Why do boxers run distance when preparing for a fight when they don’t run in the ring? To have the endurance to throw punches for 12 rounds,” Jimenez said. “In 50, 100 years from now the next generation will examine how pitching in this era changed so dramatically, and they’ll be asking who was the ‘genius’ who came up with developing every pitcher as a reliever.”

No power pitcher has ever pitched better in Denver than Jimenez. Even Skenes allowed four runs in five innings in his lone start at Coors Field last August.

It remains a baseball tragedy that Jimenez failed to become the Rockies’ first 20-game winner in 2010, a milestone missed because of bad luck, including a dropped popup, and meager offensive support.

That he remains the zenith explains the problem. The Rockies need more like him. It has been 19 years since Jimenez, along with left-hander Franklin Morales, was promoted from the minors and helped Colorado win 21 of 22 games to reach the World Series.

The Rockies have made significant year-over-year progress this season, but are still losing more games than anyone else.

This can change. But not without better starting pitching.

They need another Ubaldo. Or two.

“They have one of the greatest fan bases who support them and wait for the team every year (to improve),” Jimenez said. “They have many staffers in the organization who have worked so hard to reach the goal of winning a championship in Denver. Hopefully, they put it all together soon and God opens the door once again.”

Family and friends of the 11 jumpers and pilot killed when their shortly after taking off in Missouri on Sunday said they loved their hobby — whether it was to find personal peace or to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with others. They remembered the as people who may have had regular jobs to pay their bills but free falling brought both the thrill and the serenity they craved.

The coroner in Bent County, Missouri, this week . Among them was Jennifer L. Sharp, of Grand Junction.

Sharp, 55, took her first jump in 1989 when she was 18. Some 6,800 jumps later, she was a legendary instructor at the highest levels of the sport and the coach for 25-year-old Blake Thacker’s certification that weekend.

On her blog, Sharp wrote about how she jumped into Denver’s Coors Field ballpark while dressed as the queen of England and loved to go tandem with people skydiving for the first time and to see them test their resolve, grow personally and just feel alive.

“Being trained by Jen Sharp was like taking piano lessons from Beethoven,” her friend Greg Upper told The Associated Press, calling Sharp a philosopher. “That����ap how big of a deal she was.”

Plane crashed shortly after takeoff

The plane was barely off the ground Sunday — only about 100 feet in the air — when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing on a sunny day. It appeared to be losing power, witnesses said.

Skydive Kansas City operated the single-engine turboprop Pacific Aerospace 750XL built in 2010 out of an airport in the small town of Butler, roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.

The plane arrived in Butler for the first time on June 5, according to data from FlightRadar24.com. Pictures of the aircraft posted on social media showed it still had advertising from Chattanooga Skydiving Co. Its flight history showed it had previously been flying for weeks at a time in Tennessee and Wisconsin.

A woman who answered the phone at the Chattanooga Skydiving Co. hung up Tuesday when a reporter identified himself.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating leading to the crash including how much experience the pilot had with this model of plane and any mechanical or structural problems with the aircraft.

The 12 people killed were identified as Sharp, Thacker, Kurt John Roy, Michael Shanahan, David Hershberger, Sai Karthik Varma Datla, Matthew Swope, Dustin McKinney, Marcus Miller, Nicholas Nash, William Fischer and Dane Cordes, according to the Bates County Coroner’s Office.

Skydiving helped one jumper get sober

McKinney’s wife said her husband was meticulous about safety when he jumped after his love for skydiving prompted him to get sober seven years ago.

“It feels like this is the only way that skydiving could have taken out Dustin, because it was such a freak accident,” Kathryn Nold said. “It was the most horrific thing. It����ap still very surreal.”

McKinney, 44, of Stilwell, Kansas, worked at a furniture store and played drums in Kansas City-area bands. The father of two also had a part-time paying gig as a videographer for Skydive Kansas City.

“He could just immediately make people feel seen and warm and want to be around him, and I just feel infinitely lucky that we were the center of his world and able to experience that love from him that he gave so effortlessly to everyone,” Nold said of her high school sweetheart.

Honoring his sister by jumping

Shanahan, 54, of Kansas City, took up skydiving just before his older sister Nikki died from breast cancer in 2016, his mother said Tuesday.

“He wanted to live his life and make it worth having fun, having a good time, doing something he enjoyed, and skydiving was something he had always wanted to do, unbeknownst to us,” Gloria Shanahan told The Associated Press.

Shanahan honored his sister by skydiving on her birthday, Mother’s Day and the anniversary of her death. He then visited her grave.

Shanahan jumped Saturday just for fun. He booked Sunday’s jump as a backup in case the weather was bad but decided to go ahead and jump both days anyway, his mother said.

“We do not regret that he did. He got to live the life that he wanted to,” she said.

Shanahan’s skydiving instructor was Hershberger, who was on the plane with him Sunday. The two had another bond. Hershberger taught violin to two of Shanahan’s grandchildren.

Hershberger, 54, of Liberty, Missouri, also taught orchestra and played trumpet with the Kansas City Wind Symphony. His summers were spent at Skydive Kansas City, often harnessed to inexperienced jumpers exhilarated and nervous to cross something off their bucket lists.

Skydiving to find out more about yourself

Thacker, of Olathe, Kansas, jumped for seven years since first skydiving on his 18th birthday. He was set to get his skydiving coach certification over the weekend, his mother Sherry said.

“Skydiving had given him the confidence to do other things in his life, to be successful and reach for things maybe he thought he wasn’t good enough to do,” she said.

Thacker was an aviation software engineer and his mother saw that same methodical safety-oriented focus in his hobby.

“He said, ’Mom the danger in skydiving is really not the diving it����ap the plane,’” she recalled.

Swope, 39, of Independence, Missouri, worked in IT, but every weekend he was up in the sky as he searched for any bit of fun, especially something he could share with others, his best friend, Justin Williams, said.

“He loved it. He gets to take people on their once-in-a-lifetime adventure every weekend, multiple times a day,” Williams said.

After Swope’s death, Williams said, he’s terrified to go skydiving again but also knows he has to because his friend knew to truly live is to take risks.

“It����ap scary to be in the door, but the moment you let go, it dissolves away and induces a state of presence that you will not find anywhere else,” Williams said of free falling. “You don’t worry about the future. You’re not sad about the past. You’re just present, and it����ap the most peaceful experience.”

The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The United States Parachute Association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.

___

Associated Press reporters Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Cole Carrigg’s off to a pretty solid start in his MLB career, but why was he promoted instead of Charlie Condon or Zac Veen? Was he just playing that much better than them? Is it to manage their service time in the majors? A little of both? Thanks.

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, since you submitted your question, Carrigg has been sensational. It’s not about service time.

In the Rockies’ excruciating loss to the Cubs on Monday night, he drove in all four runs and hit an eighth-inning, three-run home run that should have stood as the game-winner.

Carrigg plays with a swagger and an edge, and in that regard, he reminds me of Troy Tulowitzki as a rookie. I asked one of Tulo’s former teammates if he shared my opinion.

“I see some,” the teammate responded. “Tulo wasn’t on the razor’s edge of out of control like Carrigg.”

Anyway, to your question, the Rockies front office sees a lot of things that fans don’t see, and that I don’t see or consider. Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, recently told me that they take a hard look at “the process” a player has in the minors as a major part of their decision on when to promote a player.

Carrigg has proven that he was ready. I think promotions for Condon and Veen could very well depend on what happens as the trade deadline nears.

Patrick, I heard you’re leaving soon. It’s been a pleasure reading your coverage all these years. The Denver sports community is losing an absolute legend. What are some of the most memorable moments of your career?

— Ryan C., Aurora

Ryan, thanks for your kind comments.

Leaving The Post after nearly 28 years is a hard and emotional decision, but it was time. The buyout I was offered made me accelerate my retirement timeline. The baseball beat, particularly covering a losing Rockies team over the last few years, has been a grind. Plus, the industry is changing fast, and I’m becoming a bit of a dinosaur.

I have far too many memories to mention here in any detail, so I will list a few: Rocktober; covering all three of the Broncos’ Super Bowl title wins; watching Nolan Arenado play third base; spending time in the dugout talking baseball and music with Bud Black; being at Todd Helton’s house in Tennessee when he got the call that he was elected to the Hall of Fame; working with some incredible colleagues, especially Kyle Newman and Troy Renck; crazy, fun times in the press box with the crew; covering games at all 30 major league ballparks; having Coors Field as my office on perfect summer nights; and forming a friendship with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, with whom I’ve had a bromance for 25 years.

I’ll be writing a farewell story soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Did you expect T.J. Rumfield to be our breakout star this season? I certainly didn’t, but, boy, is it nice to have a solution at first base after so many years of failed experiments. Do you think he’ll win the Rookie of the Year award?

— Mike, Denver

Mike, I was excited about Rumfield after seeing him play in spring training and reading the reports on his skill set. As I wrote in February: “T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo.”

But I have been surprised by the quality of his at-bats; he’s been hitting like a seasoned veteran. His glove work at first base has been outstanding.

However, I don’t think he’ll be named the National League’s top rookie, for a few reasons.

First, he plays in Colorado for a team with the worst record in baseball and he’s not going to get much attention from the baseball writers who vote for the award.

Second, he plays his home games at Coors Field, which will automatically disqualify him in the minds of some voters. That’s a shame, because he’s hit just as well on the road as at home. At Coors, he’s slashing .263/.353/.449 (.802 OPS), with five homers and 22 RBIs. On the road, he’s slashing .287/.359/.465 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

Third, there are several strong candidates, led by Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, and Mets right-hander Nolan McLean.

Are you surprised, disappointed, or comfortably numb by how the Rockies have performed so far this season?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Comfortably numb? You must be a Pink Floyd fan.

Anyway, I’m not sure my characterization is on your list. I would say mildly encouraged, but the state of the pitching staff is a huge concern.

Hey Patrick! Who do you think has the best shot at becoming our lone representative at the All-Star Game? I thought it was going to be Mickey Moniak before he went on IL. I feel like our best shots are Hunter Goodman, Antonio Senzatela or Tomoyuki Sugano.

— Ryan, Aurora

Ryan, the Rockies will have only one representative, and it’s going to be Goodman for the second consecutive season. As I write this, he’s slashing .255/.327/.537 (.864 OPS) with 27 RBIs.

Monday night at Wrigley Field, they wasted a fantastic game by rookie Cole Carrigg and lost 5-4 to the Cubs on a walk-off walk by Matt Shaw off reliever Seth Halvorsen.

The ninth inning was a Titanic-like disaster for the Rockies, who walked nine — count ’em, nine –in a game that was perhaps the worst loss of the season. Juan Mejia issued a leadoff walk to Seiya Suzuki and then threw the ball into centerfield for an error on Ian Happ’s grounder back to the mound. Mejia packed the bases by walking Nico Hoerner.

Enter Halvorsen, who gave up an RBI single to Pedro Ramirez, tying the game 4-4. Then Halvorsen walked Shaw, and the Rockies lost their 10th consecutive game at Wrigley.

Before the Rockies literally threw a victory away, it was a dramatic, entertaining evening.

The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong hit for the cycle, but the dynamic Carrigg nearly eclipsed him.

Carrigg, who drove in all of Colorado’s runs and hit a three-run home run in the eighth. Carrigg drove lefty Caleb Thielbar’s 0-1 fastball 401 feet to left for what looked to be the game-winner. Since making his big-league debut last Tuesday, Carrigg has hit 7 for 27 with three home runs, one triple, and eight RBIs in seven games.

Armstrong’s “reverse cycle” was extremely rare — just the 11th in the Modern Era (since 1900). He hit a leadoff homer in the first, a triple in the third, a double in the fifth, and a single in the seventh. He added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Key moments: There were almost too many to count.

The craziest arrived moments after Crow-Armstrong clinched his cycle. As the Cubs fans cheered him, he promptly got picked off first base by Colorado lefty Brennan Bernardino.

The Cubs broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth on a two-out RBI triple to right by Shaw off right-hander Antonio Senzatela. Shaw drove in Moises Ballesteros, who drew a two-out walk from Senzatela. Shaw’s triple touched down in the extreme right-field corner. The Rockies challenged the call, believing that the ball was foul, but to no avail.

Chicago threatened to blow the game open in the seventh, loading the bases with one out when reliever Jaden Hill walked Seiya Suzuki, but Hill buckled down and struck out Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner.

The Rockies tied the game, 1-1, in the sixth when Carrigg put together a terrific, eight-pitch at-bat to draw a bases-loaded walk to score Tyler Freeman.

Who’s hot: Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, who has struggled much of the season, put together his second solid game in a row. The right-hander pitched five innings, allowed one run, walked one, and struck out five. His one big mistake came on his fourth pitch of the game, a 2-1 cutter that Crow-Armstrong walloped 434 feet to center.

Who’s not: Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar went 0 for 2 with a strikeout, and his average sits at .217. He was removed for pinch-hitter Troy Johnston in the sixth, and Carrigg moved from center field to shortstop.

Worth noting: Cubs lefty starter Shota Imanago was not invincible after all. He was charged with a run in the sixth inning, even though it was reliever Phil Maton who hit Carrigg to drive in a run. Imanago entered Monday’s game having made two career starts vs. the Rockies, including last Wednesday at Coors Field when he pitched five scoreless innings, striking out seven. He also faced the Rockies on April 1, 2024, when he made his major league debut. He pitched six scoreless innings at Wrigley Field, striking out nine in a 5-0 Cubs victory.

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.20 ERA) at Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (4-3, 4.86), 6:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Sean Sullivan (0-0, 0.00) at Cubs RHP Javier Assad (4-1, 3.99), 6:05 p.m.
Thursday: Off day

Sean Keeler: Your humble colleague is a footie fan, full-stop, no apologies. Got bitten by the bug during USA ’94. Partied with Nigerian fans in Athens, Ga., as we watched the Super Eagles upset Argentina to win the men’s soccer gold in ’96. Denver is an amazing, fun, vibrant soccer town. FIFA? FIFA is as crooked as the Serpents Trail, my friend. When Colorado whiffed on its penalty kick with footie bigwigs during the bid process a few years back, I raged. “What does Kansas City have that Denver doesn’t?” I asked. Rooms that FIFA had booked in blocks — only to cancel at the last minute. Oh, and without any cancellation fees on the back end for KC to recoup. Because Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s fawning, making-up-trophies-to-give-world-leaders president? That’s how he rolls, baby.

World Cup 2026: Matches, scores, brackets, results and more

Renck: The running joke is if you want to watch a good shakedown, skip the mob movies and watch documentaries on how the IOC and FIFA choose host cities. The demands are outrageous and, in some cases, criminal. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 14 football executives for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. When Denver submitted its bid, it made a final offer. FIFA wanted assurances the city would cover all cost overruns, and make everything whole. So, I am not going to crush Denver for drawing a line in the sand. The reality is the timing stunk. Everyone knows how much Denver loves soccer (See Denver Summit FC and Lionel Messi appearance). But the city needed a savior in the Broncos owners, and the bid was submitted before the Walton-Penner group took over. Who knows if they would have stepped up to fill in the gaps like soccer AFLAC. History says they would have. In the absence of that help, Denver showed proper restraint, even if watching right now hurts.

Keeler: The Denver chapter might have had a different ending if Carrie Walton-Penner and Greg Penner were in the picture to soak up cost overruns. I don't blame the city for balking, though, given what's come out over the last 8-12 months. be built over Soldier Field -- and that the locals were on the hook to pay for it. The state of Missouri reportedly forked over $78 million and the state of Kansas $28 million for infrastructure, security, etc. No wonder Colorado took a pass.

Renck: It is OK to not get everything you want. We have become spoiled because of Final Fours, high-profile soccer exhibitions and having four major sports teams that we believe Denver should host anything of merit out of default. If it were just on private donations, it would be easier to have a problem with missing out. But at the time of the bid, the city did not have its Clark Hunt or Robert Kraft to push it through. Given the financial issues facing Denver, it would be impossible to rationalize the city increasing taxes to cover the open-ended costs. There is no doubt Denver deserves to host the World Cup. But there is also no shame in showing common sense, if not cents, and waiting to go all out to host the Women's World Cup in 2031.

Keeler: And it will. Or at least, it should. Summit FC got on a roll after May 9, and the powers behind the club want to keep those good vibes going. Did you see the way Can you imagine the juice those kind of travelers would give Coors Field during another sad Rockies summer? Denver deserves to walk on world soccer's biggest catwalks. But not by having to sell its shirt first.

The club’s prized right-hander is likely facing surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, most likely Tommy John surgery.

“It����ap looking like surgery on the UCL,” manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Las Vegas. “Nothing is set in stone, but that����ap the way it����ap trending.”

As trends go, that’s about as bad as it gets. The Rockies, once again, have the worst starting rotation in the majors, owning a 5.88 ERA heading into Saturday night’s game vs. the A’s in Las Vegas.

Dollander, selected out of the University of Tennessee with the ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft, was supposed to author Colorado’s bright new chapter. But for all of his 100 mph firepower and talent, Dollander’s big league career had a rocky start.

As a rookie last season, he posted a 2-12 record with a 6.52 ERA, including a 9.98 mark at Coors Field. It was a bitter taste of reality for a pitcher that many in the organization believe can become the best pitcher in franchise history.

One reason for belief is a mentality that seems to prepare Dollander for success and the ability to cope with failure. As The Denver Post’s Troy Renck wrote during spring training, “Dollander believes the worst season of his life will be the best thing that happened to him.

“I will take the lessons I learned from it through the rest of my career,” Dollander said, looking back on Colorado’s 119-loss debacle. “I think if you don’t take it personally, you are not in a good spot. I definitely did. No. 1, we are too good to be getting tossed around like this. And No. 2, I am too good to be getting tossed around like this.”

But now Dollander’s career is being flipped upside-down. He is scheduled to be examined by Dr. Keith Meister next Friday. Meister, based in Texas, is an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in elbow reconstruction. If Dollander undergoes surgery, he’ll be done for the rest of this season and most of next year. An internal brace procedure usually means a 12 to 14-month recovery. If Dollander requires a full elbow reconstruction, there’s a chance he’ll miss the entire 2027 season.

Either way, it’s a huge blow and presents a Mount Elbert-sized challenge for the Rockies’ front office.

More than seven months ago, in a suite at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, Paul DePodesta made a light-hearted but prophetic statement.

“I’ve used this phrase before, but I’m a bit of a sucker for a challenge,” DePodesta said with a laugh.

The Rockies’ president of baseball operations was less than a week into his new job when he made that quip during Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings.

“I have been part of (a rebuild) a number of different times,” DePodesta continued. “And I actually really enjoy it. I love winning — don’t get me wrong, that����ap ultimately where I want to get to — but building that, getting to the winning, is incredibly gratifying. So that was absolutely part of the attraction.”

Now, however, DePodesta and Co. have to figure out how to handle this glitch in their blueprint. The Rockies have some intriguing pitching prospects, including lefty Sean Sullivan (who made his debut Friday night), and right-handers Gabriel Hughes, Eiberson Castellano and Jackson Cox. But there is no pitcher in the system that has Dollander’s talent or wow factor.

DePodesta, general manager Josh Byrnes, and their lieutenants must work a trade like the one that landed right-hander German Marquez. He was acquired in one of the best deals in franchise history.

In January 2016, former GM Jeff Bridich engineered a trade for Marquez and reliever Jake McGee from Tampa Bay in exchange for outfielder Corey Dickerson and minor-league infielder Kevin Padlo.

Marquez debuted in late 2016 and made 29 starts in 2017 (4.39 ERA). In 2018, at age 24, he blossomed into a star with one of the best seasons ever by a Rockies starter. He struck out 230 in 196 innings and finished with a 3.77 ERA. Over his final 14 starts, Marquez struck out 124 in 93 innings, posted a 2.61 ERA, and had six double-digit strikeout games — including four 11-K games in September as the Rockies qualified for the playoffs and came one win away from unseating the Dodgers from the National West throne.

The Rockies look like they are at least two seasons away from being a playoff contender. Without Dollander, that timeline gets dicey — unless DePodesta and Co. can work some magic before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and during the offseason.

But how high has it climbed? And how much better must the offense become to make the Rockies a team with legitimate playoff aspirations? The results have been mixed.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said recently that the Rockies had made “incredible strides,” crediting hitting coaches Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco, along with Paul DePodesta, president of baseball operations, and general manager Josh Byrnes, for the improvements.

To review, this is the kind of offense Schaeffer envisions.

“We want to put the ball in play, because we were punching out so doggone much last year,” he said. “We want to move the line (by) using the bunt hit, walking, stealing bags, and just playing total offense. That’s what I believe in. That’s what I’ll always believe. Our personnel is directed more toward that this year, for sure.”

The Blake Street Bombers aren’t coming back, so the Rockies are trying to create a well-rounded offense that pressures the opposition and doesn’t go dormant on the road so often.

“Over 162 games, it might seem like slow progress to the outside world, but we track it and it’s going well,” Schaeffer said.

OK, time to crunch the numbers and see just how high the offense has climbed.

Big picture

Colorado entered the weekend series against the Athletics in Las Vegas with a 26-43 record and was on pace to finish 61-102. After 69 games last season, the Rockies were 13-56, and ultimately finished 43-119.

The Rockies’ minus-424 run differential in 2025 was the worst in baseball’s modern era (since 1900), surpassing the 1932 Boston Red Sox (minus-349). No other team has posted a minus-400 run differential at any point in a season in the modern era. Currently, the Rockies have a minus-100 run differential and are on pace to finish with a minus-235.

Slash line

Last season, Colorado’s .237 average, .293 on-base percentage, .386 slugging percentage, and .679 OPS were all the lowest in franchise history.

Things are looking up. Entering the weekend, the Rockies’ slash line was .249/.319/.396 with a .715 OPS. Not an offensive juggernaut by any means — by comparison, the mighty Dodgers are hitting .264/.346/.443 with a .789 OPS — but an improvement.

Clutch hitting

The 2025 Rockies batted .233 with runners in scoring position, the second-lowest average in the majors and the lowest in franchise history. Colorado’s 29 home runs with runners in scoring position were tied for 27th in the majors and tied for the lowest in a full season in franchise history with the 2013 club.

There has been marked improvement this season. The Rockies are hitting .258 with runners in scoring position, ranking 11th in the majors. However, Colorado’s 12 homers with runners in scoring position rank 26th.

Thievery

Schaeffer vowed that the Rockies would steal more bases, and they have. Through their first 66 games, they had swiped 53 bags, their most since 2000 when they had 63 stolen bases in 66 games.

The Rockies rank 10th in the majors. Last season, they finished with 87, ranking 23rd.

Swings and whiffs

Cleaning up all of the ugly, empty at-bats remains one of DePodesta’s top priorities.

“I think foundationally, we as an organization needed to have more plate discipline,” he said last Sunday. “This past year, our chase rate was the highest in baseball — not just in the big leagues, but also in Triple-A, also in Double-A, also in High-A, also in Low-A. So we have a lot of room to make up, just to be on par with some of our competitors in that space.”

Like Schaeffer, DePodesta believes that putting the ball in play is key, especially at Coors Field, where bloop singles, as well as doubles and triples into the alleys, can make life miserable for opposing pitchers.

“We just need to take advantage of all the holes that are out there in the outfield,” DePodesta said. “We need to be able to put more balls in play. In order to do that, we need to swing at better pitches to hit, and we’ve started to do that, which I think has been really encouraging.”

“We’ve started to do that,” is the key phrase here. Last season, the Rockies’ 1,531 strikeouts were the third-most in club history and second-most in the majors behind the Angels (1,627). This season, the Rockies have the fifth most with 621 and are on pace for 1,458. That’s an improvement, though not a massive improvement.

Last season, Colorado finished with a 51.0 swing percentage, a 31.7 chase percentage, and a 29.0 whiff percentage, all the highest marks in the majors.

There have been only incremental improvements this season.  The whiff percentage has dropped to 25.9% (12th highest), but the 51.1% swing rate remains the highest, as does the 34.4% chase rate.

Power supply

The Rockies are still not putting the ball over the wall with much frequency. The 2025 Rockies hit 160 home runs, ranking 25th in the majors and tied for the seventh-fewest for a full season in franchise history (also 2008). This season, Colorado has hit 67 homers (tied for 21st with San Diego) and is on pace to hit just 157 homers.

Curiously, and ominously, the Rockies have hit just 34 home runs at high-altitude Coors Field this season, ranking 19th in the majors. The Rockies are counting on the return of Mickey Moniak from an injured ankle and more homers from rookies like TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg to boost the power supply.

Just when you think the Rockies’ talented right-hander is going to solidify his place as the anchor of the rotation, there’s a glitch.

Case in point: Colorado’s 9-3 loss to the Cubs on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field, which prevented the Rockies from completing a three-game sweep. The Rockies, however, have won three of their last four series.

Feltner set the Cubs down in order in the first three innings. At that point, he had retired 22 consecutive batters, dating back to his last start vs. Milwaukee. But Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the fourth with a single, Michael Bush added a one-out single, and Feltner walked Ian Happ to load the bases.

Then came Feltner’s big mistake — a hanging 1-0 slider to Seiya Suzuki, who rocketed a 400-foot grand slam into a mass of Cubs fans in the left-field bleachers.

“I was just struggling with feel on the ball,” said Feltner, who pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on four hits and three walks. His ERA rose from 4.22 to 5.20.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said that Feltner’s command “escaped him” in the fourth inning, but added that “sometimes the balls tend to get a little slick sometimes here at altitude.”

“But that’s not an excuse,” Schaeffer added.

Entering Thursday, Feltner had made two quality starts in a row after coming off a five-week stint on the disabled list with inflammation of the ulnar nerve in his right elbow. But he wasn’t sharp on Thursday, and his frustration showed on the mound.

“I pride myself on trying to keep the team in the game, regardless of what’s going on with me,” Feltner said. “I wouldn’t say my frustration got in the way of execution. It was more of a frustration after the fact.”

Even though he set down the first nine Chicago hitters he faced, Feltner said he never had great command.

“I didn’t have any of my pitches today,” he said. “The first three innings, I felt OK … my stuff was serviceable. But I was falling behind in counts. I also felt like I was getting lucky because I was falling behind and that all showed up in the fourth.”

A glance at the game’s linescore would suggest a closer game. The Rockies outhit the Cubs, 12-10, and both teams hit three home runs. The difference was Suzuki’s grand slam, and Alex Bregman’s two-run blast off Blas Castano in the seventh.

All of Colorado’s homers were solo shots: two by catcher Brett Sullivan (the first multi-homer day of his career), and a 418-foot homer to right by rookie center fielder Cole Carrigg in the fourth off of Chicago starter Edward Cabrera. It was Carrigg’s first big-league homer, and it came in his third big-league game.

“I got down 0-2 early and chased a couple of pitches … but had a couple of good takes after that, and he hung a 3-2 slider and I put a good swing on that,” said Carrigg, who joined outfielder Brad Hawpe (2004) as the only two Rockies to have a triple and home run through their first three career games.

Colorado had a prime opportunity to get back into the game in the sixth inning. Trailing 6-2 at the time, the Rockies loaded the bases with one out but failed to score. Kyle Karros flew out to shallow right field, and the Cubs right-hander struck out Ezequiel Tovar on an 0-2 breaking ball.

Tovar, who fanned three times Thursday, is hitting .211 with a .591 OPS. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting .147. Tovar’s struggles with breaking balls down and away continue to be a problem.

“I think that’s always been kind of his deal because that’s a tough pitch for him to hit,” Schaeffer said. “But he’s been working non-stop on that. But you have seen him hit some homers on hanging breaking balls. But listen, a slider down and away is a tough pitch for anybody to hit. It’s part of his development.”

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies TBA at A’s LHP Gage Jump (2-1, 2.45 ERA), 8:05 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 7.81) at A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68), 8:05 p.m.
Sunday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08) at A’s RHP J.T. Ginn (4-3, 3.15), 1:05 p.m.
TV: Rockies TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Late-night illiteration aside, it was an impressive win for Colorado. Veteran Michael Lorenzen gave the Rockies a strong start, but it was TJ Rumfield and Sterlin Thompson who stole the show and clinched the three-game series.

Thompson, a native of Longmont (he lived there for six months as an infant), punched a pinch-hit single through the right side of the Cubs’ drawn-in infield to give the Rockies their second walk-off win of the season. Rookie center fielder Cole Carrigg, who debuted on Tuesday, helped douse Thompson with Powerade in the postgame celebration.

“It was a surreal moment,” Thompson said. “It’s awesome that all of the rookies contributed to the moment. Signature moment. It was exciting for the fans and the (organization). It’s something you dream of as a kid and something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

The Rockies were on the verge of a less dramatic win in the eighth when Rumfield launched a two-run homer off reliever Jacob Webb into the right field for a 2-1 lead. It was Rumfield’s eighth homer.

But closer Antonio Senzatela, someone manager Warren Schaeffer touted as a possible All-Star selection before the game, gave up a leadoff homer to Ian Happ in the ninth. Happ blasted Senzatela’s 1-0 cutter 424 feet to left-center, tying the game 2-2. It was just the third homer Senzatela has served up this season.

But it left the Rockies with work to do.

The rally began when Troy Johnston drew a seven-pitch walk from flame-throwing right-hander Daniel Palencia. Pinch hitter Brett Sullivan failed to get down a sacrifice bunt but hit a single to advance Johnston to third and set the stage for Thompson’s game-winning hit. It was the 23rd pinch-hit walk-off in franchise history, and the first since Charlie Blackmon on June 16, 2021, vs. San Diego.

“The Troy (Johnston) at-bat was exceptional, taking a walk off a guy throwing 100 mph like that,” Schaeffer said. “Then ‘Sully,’ after failing to get the bunt down, and then grinding and having grit through that AB, was huge. And to do it off the bench is not easy.”

Schaeffer was thrilled for Rumfield and Thompson.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Those guys are living the dream, man. It just shows they come ready to play; it doesn’t matter how young they are. It’s very gratifying. I’m so happy for those guys.”

Before the late-game drama, Lorenzen was the story.

Schaeffer has been insisting that Lorenzen had the tools and the smarts to turn around his season. For one night, at least, Schaeffer was right.

Lorenzen pitched three perfect innings before Pete Crow Armstrong led off the fourth with a triple off the centerfield wall. Armstrong scored on Moises’ Ballersteros’ RBI groundout to first. That was the only run Lorenzen allowed. He limited Chicago to two hits, walked two, and struck out a season-high seven.

“I have felt good a while now, but the results just weren’t there,” said Lorenzen, who threw from the windup for the first time in six starts. “You are walking that fine line between making adjustments but not making too many adjustments. But tonight, the pitch execution was good, and the rhythm was good. I thought ‘Goody’ (catcher Hunter Goodman) called a really good game.”

Lorenzen didn’t throw his sweeper as much, choosing instead to go with more four-seam fastballs and an effective slider.

The right-hander entered the night in a bad place. His 8.01 ERA was the highest among major league pitchers with at least 10 starts this season. His 8.15 ERA as a starter was the fourth-highest in franchise history through a player’s first 13 starts with the club. Worse, opponents were hitting .364 against him, the highest average in the majors.

Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched even better than Lorenezen, blanking Colorado for five innings, allowing two hits, walking two, and fanning seven. Rumfield lined a two-out single to left in the first, and Hunter Goodman sliced a leadoff single to right in the fourth.

The Rockies will attempt to sweep the Cubs on Thursday afternoon.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Cubs RHP Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22), 1:10 p.m.
Friday: Rockies TBA at Athletics TBA, 8:05 p.m.
Saturday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 7.81) at A’s LHP Gage Jump (2-1, 2.45), 8:05 p.m.
Sunday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (6-4, 4.08) at A’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.68), 1:05 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM