On Thursday, Goodman won the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for a catcher in the National League. The 26-year-old became the first Rockies catcher to win the award.

In 144 games, Colorado’s lone All-Star slashed .278/.323/.520 with 31 homers, 28 doubles, five triples and 91 RBIs. Goodman was the first NL catcher to hit 30 home runs in a season since the Braves’ Javy Lopez hit 43 in 2003. He was also the first Rockies player to hit at least 30 home runs since Charlie Blackmon (32), Trevor Story (35), and Nolan Arenado (41) in 2019.

Goodman’s home runs, 150 hits, 64 extra-base hits and 91 RBIs are all the most by a Rockies primary catcher in a single season in franchise history.

He is one of six catchers to hit at least 30 home runs and drive in at least 90 runs in their age-25 season or younger. Goodman joined Rudy York (1937-38), Joe Torre (1966), Johnny Bench (1970, ’72), Mike Piazza (1993) and Gary Sanchez (2017).

The Silver Slugger is the top offensive award in Major League Baseball, presented to the season’s best hitters at each position as selected by a vote of MLB coaches and managers in their respective leagues.

Thairo Estrada becomes free agent

The Rockies enter the offseason searching for a solution at second base.

After declining the 2026 option for veteran second baseman Thairo Estrada on Monday, Colorado outrighted him off the 40-man major league roster on Thursday, and Estrada opted for free agency. Estrada was limited to 39 games in 2025 because of injuries. He broke his right wrist in spring training, then suffered a sprained left thumb and a strained right hamstring during the regular season. Estrada hit .253 with three home runs and 21 RBIs.

Also on Thursday, Colorado claimed right-handed reliever Garrett Acton off waivers from Tampa Bay.�� Acton, 27, made his big-league debut in 2023, playing six games with the A’s and posting a 12.71 ERA. Last year at Triple-A Durham, Acton went 5-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 45 games, including four starts. He pitched one scoreless inning for the Rays.

In four minor league seasons, Acton is 16-12 with a 4.39 ERA in 151 games (six starts), and he has 283 strikeouts vs. 85 walks.

The Rockies currently have 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Rockies’ top front-office candidates no longer in running for job, according to source

to a deal that called for a $3.25 million salary in 2025 and guaranteed $4 million.

A 29-year-old veteran of parts of seven major league seasons, Estrada hit .253 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 39 games.

He didn’t make his season debut until May 30 after his right wrist was fractured when he was hit by a 97.1 mph pitch from Texas’ Kumar Rocker on March 20. He was sidelined between July 7 and 25 by a strained right thumb and his while running out a double-play grounder against Toronto.

10 of the ’25 Rockies’ gnarliest numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A dreadful three-year run for Rockies baseball

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

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

Source: Baseball Reference.

In trouble from the start

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

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

Source: Opta Stats/Colorado Rockies/Baseball Reference

Scoreboard tells the story

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

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

Source: Baseball Reference

The Top 10 worst teams in modern Major League Baseball history

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

1. ��

Record: 41-121 (.248)

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

2.

Record: 40-120-1��(.250)

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

T-3.

Record: 43-119��(.265)

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

T-3.

Record: 43-119 (.265)

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

5.

Record: 36-117-1��(.235)

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

T-6.

Record: 47-115��(.290)

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

��-6.��

Record: 38-115��(.248)

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

8.

Record: 47-114 (.292)

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

9.

Record: 38-113-6 (.252)

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

T-10.

Record: 50-112 (.309)

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

T-10.

Record: 50-112-2 (.309)

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

T-10.

��𳦴ǰ���:��42-112-1��(.273)

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

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

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

Padres 21, Rockies 0

Date: May 10 at Coors Field

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

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

Date: July 26 at Camden Yards

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

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

Blue Jays 20, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Aug. 6 at Coors Field

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

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

Blue Jays 15, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Aug. 4 at Coors Field

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

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

Brewers 17, Rockies 2

�ٲ��ٱ�:��April 9 at Coors Field

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

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

Braves 12, Rockies 4

�ٲ��ٱ�:��June 13 at Truist Park

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

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

Yankees 13, Rockies 1

Date: May 24 at Coors Field

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

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

Tigers 11, Rockies 1

�ٲ��ٱ�:��May 8 at Coors Field

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

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

Mets 13, Rockies 5

�ٲ��ٱ�:��June 8 at Coors Field

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

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

Dodgers 9, Rockies 0

�ٲ��ٱ�:��Sept. 10 at Dodger Stadium

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

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

5 weird moments from Rockies’ bizarre lost season

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

Slip of the glove

Date: May 24

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

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

Purple pain

Date: June 25

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

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

Wild night in LoDo

Date: Aug. 1

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

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

Catcher in the raw

Date: Aug. 6

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

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

Subject to ejection

Date: Sept. 2

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

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

The 23-year-old Karros, ranked as Colorado’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 14 by Baseball America, was called up by the Rockies on Friday.��He could be the Rockies’ third baseman of the future, replacing Ryan McMahon, who was traded to the Yankees last month ahead of the trade deadline.

Karros, making his major league debut, was in Colorado’s starting lineup at third base for Friday night’s game against Arizona at Chase Field. Karros was batting eighth.

The Rockies also called up infielder Aaron Schunk, adding him to the 40-man roster.

Before the Rockies played the Diamondbacks, the club transferred second baseman Thairo Estrada to the 60-day injured list with a right hamstring injury, ending his frustrating season. Utility infielder Orlando Arcia was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 6) with right elbow inflammation. Both players were hurt in Colorado’s loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Coors Field.

Additionally, right-handed pitcher Angel Chivilli went on the restricted list. The Rockies said the reliever was dealing with a personal matter.

Karros is the son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros. The younger Karros was Colorado’s fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA in 2023. He’s been steadily climbing his way to the majors.

In 75 games between the Arizona Complex League, Double-A Hartford and Triple-A this season, he slashed .301/.398/.476 with six home runs, 23 doubles, three triples, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases. In three minor league seasons, he’s slashed .304/.393/.459 with 21 homers, 60 doubles, six triples, 121 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in 234 games.

He’s considered a strong fielder with a good arm. He has a career .970 fielding percentage in 211 games at third base and a 1.000 fielding percentage in eight games at first base. In 2024, he was named the High-A Northwest League MVP after slashing .311/.390/.485 in 123 games with Spokane, falling one home run shy of winning the triple crown. He also earned 2024 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove honors as the top defensive third baseman in minor league baseball.

Schunk, 28, was outrighted off the 40-man roster in June. He has a .230/.254/.311 slashline in 127 big league plate appearances.

Estrada, 29, was supposed to team up with Gold Glove second baseman Ezequiel Tovar to give Colorado superior defense in the middle of the diamond. His contract guaranteed him $4 million this season with a mutual option for 2026.

But now his future in Colorado is in doubt. He was hit by a pitch in spring training and broke his right wrist, landing him on IL for the first two months of the season. He also missed time with a sprained left thumb. Now his hamstring strain has sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He played in only 39 games and hit .253/.285/.370.

By a lot.

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

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

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

“Pretty absurd,” Gausman said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colorado, owners of an 8-6 record since the All-Star break, clinched the three-game series. It was Colorado’s fifth series win of the season. A cloudburst arrived just before the eighth inning, delaying the game for 1 hour, 4 minutes.

However, there was some possible bad news for Colorado when closer Seth Halvorsen departed the game in the ninth with an elbow injury. He was walked off the field, led by head trainer Keith Dugger.

“I don’t look good,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “It’s his elbow. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Schaffer added that Halvorsen had not felt any elbow discomfort recently, but did say Halvorsen “felt something a while back.”

Skenes dominated out of the gate. The Rockies had just two hits and struck out eight times vs. Skenes in their first five at-bats. They looked like the same old swing-and-miss Rockies, overmatched by the 6-foot-5 pitcher with a 1.83 ERA who had allowed just two earned runs over five starts in July.

But maybe, just maybe, the Rockies (30-80) are beginning to figure things out.

Mickey Moniak led off the sixth with a single, and Ezequiel Tovar drew a walk off Skenes. Up stepped Beck, who hit a three-run homer that skipped off the top of the fence in right field. Beck’s homer, his 13th, marked the first time in Skenes’ 46 big-league starts that he’s given up a three-run homer. Skenes has never been slammed.

“He’s a good pitcher, obviously, and a Cy Young candidate,” said Beck, who hit a 98.7 mph sinker. “We just got to him today. We went up there looking for his fastball.”

Skene’s 4-0 lead was down to 4-3, and the Rockies weren’t finished.

Impossibly hot first baseman Warming Bernabel lashed a double to left, ending Skenes’ day, but not his line in the box score. Thairo Estrada singled off reliever Braxton Ashcraft, and Brenton Doyle lashed an RBI single to left, tying the game 4-4. An RBI double by catcher Austin Nola and an RBI groundout completed Colorado’s six-run sixth.

Skenes departed with a 2.02 ERA after being charged with four runs on five hits.

“It’s good stuff,” Schaeffer said of Colorado’s approach in the batter’s box. “We got to him once or twice, in a couple of innings. We almost got to him in the fourth, and then we got to him in the sixth. It’s not a matter how much we got to him — we got to him. He’s really good. Guys battled like they always do.”

Bernabel’s been in the majors for one week, but he’s quickly become the Rockies’ rookie wrecking ball. He was 3 for 4 with two doubles and delivered an RBI single in the seventh. In his first seven games, Bernabel is hitting .500 with a 1.553 OPS, 29 total bases and eight RBIs. His 14 hits are the most in Rockies history through a player’s first seven games.

Orlando Arcia, playing third base after Ryan McMahon was traded to the Yankees, added a bonus run with a solo homer off Genesis Cabrera in the eighth.

Rockies starter Austin Gomber pitched well for five innings — if you toss out two home runs by leadoff hitter Liover Peguero.

The first baseman led off the game with a homer to left. Gomber then shut down the Pirates until the fifth when he issued a leadoff walk to Jared Triolo and Tovar made an error at short on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s infield chopper. That set the table for Peguero’s three-run homer down the left-field line. Peguero also hit a solo homer in the ninth off rookie Dugan Darnell to finish off his three-homer day.

Gomber, carrying a 6.18 ERA, gave up five hits, struck out five and walked one.

Sunday’s pitching matchup

Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-10, 3.69 ERA) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (1-2, 7.09)

1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending: With their 8-5 victory over the Pirates on Saturday, coming on the heels of their 17-16 win on Friday night, the Rockies did something rare. It marked the fifth time in franchise history they won consecutive games when trailing by four or more runs, the first time since June 26-27, 2016.

Pitching probables

Monday: Blue Jays LHP Eric Lauer (6-2, 2.68) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (2-3, 4.85), 6:40 p.m.

Tuesday: Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios (7-4, 3.84) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-11, 5.26), 6:40 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

After rallying for a 6-5 win over the Orioles on Friday at Camden Yards to start the first road trip of the second half, Colorado got pummeled 18-0 on Saturday and then lost 5-1 on Sunday to drop the series.

The pair of weekend defeats sank the Rockies to 27-78. Colorado is on track to go 42-120, which would narrowly avoid the distinction of being the worst team in modern baseball history, set by the 121-loss White Sox last year.

“It’s disappointing every time we lose a series,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters. “But we’ve won two out of three series now to start the second half, so we’re looking to go into Cleveland now and get us another series.”

On Friday, the Rockies carried over the momentum from their 4-2 homestand that featured the first two series wins at Coors Field this season. Things were looking up as Colorado looked like a competitive club for an extended stretch for the first time in ’25.

That upward trajectory continued in the series opener, when the Rockies erased an early 4-0 deficit and had an array of offensive bright spots in a season that’s been short on such moments.

Mickey Moniak, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick by the Phillies, whom the Rockies took a one-year flier on, continued to look like a guy who Colorado should consider holding on to when he homered Friday to spark the Rockies’ rally.

Thairo Estrada followed with a two-run homer, all-star catcher Hunter Goodman had an RBI double to tie the game, and in the sixth, Ezequiel Tovar’s solo homer put the Rockies ahead for good as the back end of the bullpen shut down Baltimore.

But those vibes quickly dissipated on Saturday, when Baltimore pummeled Colorado 18-0.

The Rockies only mustered two hits, one of which was by rookie Warming Bernabel. The third baseman was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque earlier in the day to make his MLB debut after Ryan McMahon was traded to the Yankees on Friday.

In the annihilation that ended with utilityman Kyle Farmer pitching the eighth, Antonio Senzatela got lit up again. His ERA stands at 6.68, and opponents are hitting .350 against him. He’s one of just six pitchers to allow an average over .340 with 20 or more starts since the turn of the century.

The Orioles tagged Senzatela for six runs over four innings with two homers, then the bullpen fared even worse. In all, it was the club’s second-worst loss of a historically futile season, behind a 21-0 blowout at the hands of the Padres on May 10 at Coors Field.

On Sunday, Austin Gomber took the mound to try to get the Rockies their third road series win this season, and fifth overall. The Rockies gave the southpaw an early lead when Bernabel launched his first career homer 385 feet to left off Tomoyuki Sugano in the second inning.

But that was all the run production Colorado could muster. The Rockies, who have lacked the ability to hit in the clutch all season, were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base.

Gomber, meanwhile, wasn’t sharp. He allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings with three walks and a two-run homer in the third by Tyler O’Neill that gave the Orioles a 4-1 cushion.

In the eighth, Baltimore added another run off a couple of Colorado miscues. Gunnar Henderson got to second on a throwing error by Ezequiel Tovar, then Henderson scored from second on a wild pitch by Jaden Hill. The right-hander failed to cover home as Henderson raced around third to score easily.

Monday’s pitching matchup

Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (1-2, 8.67 ERA) at Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.76)

4:40 p.m. Monday, Progressive Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending:��The Rockies continue to lean into their youth movement. With third baseman Warming Bernabel’s debut on Saturday, Colorado’s had 10 debuts this season, the fourth-most in MLB behind the Athletics (13), White Sox (11) and Marlins (11).

Pitching probables

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (2-2, 3.13) at Guardians LHP Logan Allen (6-9, 4.16), 4:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-10, 5.24) at Guardians TBD, 4:40 p.m.

— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post

It����ap a rare run of success for the Rockies, who improved to 27-76 on the season but still need 15 wins to avoid matching the modern record of 121 losses by last year’s Chicago White Sox. Colorado rallied from a 4-0 deficit after Jordan Westburg, Tyler O’Neill, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson hit solo homers for Baltimore in the first two innings.

Mickey Moniak hit a solo shot in the third for the Rockies and Thairo Estrada added a two-run homer in the fourth.

Colorado took the lead in the fifth when Hunter Goodman hit an RBI double and then scored on Jordan Beck’s single. Jackson Holliday tied it for the Orioles with an RBI single in the seventh off Rockies reliever Jake Bird (4-1).

Tovar answered with a one-out drive off Andrew Kittredge (1-2), and the Rockies held on. Seth Halvorsen worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 13 chances.

Colorado and Baltimore — both in last place in their respective divisions — traded players to New York before the game. The Rockies sent infielder Ryan McMahon to the Yankees, and the Orioles dealt reliever Gregory Soto .

Key moment

O’Neill led off the eighth with a double, but Tyler Kinley retired the next three hitters — two via strikeout — to protect the one-run lead.

Key stat

Baltimore remains the only team in the major leagues without a walk-off victory in 2025.

Up next

Trevor Rogers (3-1, 1.74 ERA) starts for the Orioles on Saturday night against Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela (4-13, 6.41).

___

AP MLB:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A lackluster offense. Poor defense. Sketchy starting pitching. A terrible home record.

Team therapy is needed, solutions are required and a fresh start would be welcome when Colorado opens the so-called second half of the season Friday night with a game against the Twins at Coors Field. Change is coming, possibly in the front office led by general manager Bill Schmidt. Several high-profile trades, at least by Rockies standards, are likely on the table.

Interim manager Warren Schaeffer will have to deal with those changes and make the most out of a team with a 22-74 record and on track to supplant the 2024 White Sox (41-121) for the most losses in baseball’s modern era. Schaeffer, who has remained outwardly optimistic since replacing Bud Black on May 11, knows what he wants to see.

“I think just moving forward, in general, it’s the way we play the game,” after the Rockies lost two of three games in Cincinnati before the All-Star break. “Play with confidence. Play with freedom.”

But which players will Schaeffer have available when he fills out lineup cards after the July 31 trade deadline? There are several trade candidates, led by starting pitchers German Marquez and lefty Austin Gomber, both of whom are set to hit free agency.

There is also an argument to be made that Colorado, clearly in rebuilding mode, should trade starting third baseman Ryan McMahon, who’s been erratic at the plate but is a Gold Glove contender. McMahon, 30, is making $12 million this season and is owed $16 million in both 2026 and ’27 before he becomes a free agent.

Other players who might make the phone ring in the offices at 20th and Blake include veteran relievers Jake Bird and Tyler Kinley, outfielder Mickey Moniak, and, less likely, veteran second baseman Thairo Estrada.

Lingering over the organization is the question of Schmidt’s future. The club already fired hitting coach Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens, bench coach Mike Redmond and Black. Walker Monfort, the oldest son of team owner Dick Monfort, was promoted to executive vice president and will replace chief operating officer Greg Feasel.

Walker Monfort declined to discuss Schmidt’s fate, speaking in more general terms about changes in the organization.

“Ultimately, we’re open to anything, and I think that����ap where I want to keep it,” Monfort told The Denver Post. “I think we’re open to whatever it takes to make the Colorado Rockies better. But I would say it����ap really about maximizing our resources, right? And if we don’t have the right resources in place, we should figure out a way to get the right resources in place. That����ap not just from a staffing perspective, it����ap really everything.”

Schmidt, who helped direct Colorado’s draft earlier this week, remains at the helm with the trade deadline less than two weeks away. Asked about his job status at season’s end, he recently told The Post, “That����ap for other people to decide.”

The Rockies will undoubtedly field a different team. Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who hasn’t played with Colorado since June 2 because of an oblique strain, should be back for Friday’s game with the Twins. Right-hander Ryan Feltner, out since April 28 because of a lower back injury, should rejoin the rotation soon.

Veteran first baseman/designated hitter Kris Bryant, limited to just 11 games, remains sidelined by his chronic, career-threatening, low-back condition. There are no indications he will play again this season.

The Rockies are hopeful that outfielder Zac Veen, shipped down to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 23, can return and finally establish himself as a big-league player. They also hope for the return of rookie right-hander Chase Dollander, who was sent down to Triple-A as his ERA soared to 6.68. And if the Rockies do swing a trade for McMahon, third base prospect Kyle Karros, playing well at Double-A Hartford, would be a candidate to make his major league debut.

The Rockies’ 2025 season, based on their record, is a lost cause. They would have to finish 41-25 to avoid a third consecutive 100-loss season. That’s not going to happen, especially if they trade away veterans like Marquez and McMahon.

The Rockies played a lot of close games in June and July, but a lack of clutch hitting continues to haunt them. They have a .222 average with runners in scoring position (ranking 29th) and .199 average with two outs and runners in scoring position (28th). It’s a mindset the Rockies have to escape.

“Especially when it����ap happening over and over again, it gets in guys’ heads,” Schaeffer said. “It����ap just a matter of stacking some games where we do it right and getting some confidence.”

Friday’s pitching matchup

Twins RHP Chris Paddack (3-8, 4.95 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-10, 5.44)

6:40 p.m. Friday, Coors Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending: One of the Rockies’ primary goals in the second half is to improve their play at home. They enter Friday night’s game against the Twins with a 10-36 (.217) record at Coors Field, the worst home record in the majors and the worst start at home for a team in the modern era (since 1901). The Rockies have yet to win a series or back-to-back games at Coors Field this season, and they have lost 17 consecutive home series dating back to 2024. Per OptaSTATS, that is tied for the longest home series losing streak in MLB history with the 1916-17 Philadelphia Athletics.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Twins TBA at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-13, 6.60), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Twins RHP Joe Ryan (9-4, 2.72) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (3-10, 5.57), 1:10 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post