During the Rockies’ 9-6 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, Hunter Goodman, Troy Johnston, Edouard Julien and Jake McCarthy all hit doubles, and they all pantomimed a fisherman casting his line and reeling in a catch.

Clearly, it was a clever celebratory response to the comments made by Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing after the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to Colorado on Saturday. Rushing made some veiled accusations, saying the Rockies made some “fishy” swing decisions.

On Monday, when asked about the Rockies’ act at second base, Johnston didn’t take the bait.

Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela embraces change and it’s paying off | Journal

"What was it all about? Fishing," McCarthy answered Monday as a big smile spread across his face. "We all like to fish, and we like the outdoors. This is Colorado."

So, it had nothing to do with Rushing comments?

"Well, I mean, that's open to interpretation," he said, flashing another big grin. "It's a team bonding thing. It's all in good fun."

Goodman, Colorado's All-Star catcher, as it turns out, is also a big fisherman in his home state of Tennessee.

"I enjoy bass fishing," Goodman said. "And Colorado is an outdoor state. And one of the best players to ever play here, Chuck, fishes all of the time. I'm sure he loves it."

Goodman was referring to Rockies icon Charlie Blackmon.

So, did Goodman's air casting have anything to do with Rushing's fishy comments?

"I mean, I'll leave that up to other people to decide," he said.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer added, "Sometimes guys just say things, that's all. I mean, we are the highest percentage 0-0 swing team in the league, and I think everybody knows that. It is what it is. (Rushing) is free to say whatever he wants."

And what was Schaeffer's response to his players' second base celebration?

"I don't know anything about that," he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After a snowy afternoon in Denver, the first pitch temperature was 35 degrees, making it the coldest game in Dodgers history. Then again, they are the Dodgers. And they were playing the Rockies.

The final: Los Angeles 7, Colorado 1. The Rockies (7-13) have lost six of their last seven games. The high-flying Dodgers (15-4) have won 11 of their last 13 games.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy sandwiched an RBI double between solo home runs in the second and fifth innings, and right-hander Tyler Glasnow put Colorado’s offense in a deep freeze.

Muncy’s double-homer game was the 21st multi-home run game of his career, and four of those have been launched at Coors.

Glasnow was superb. He gave up one run on two hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two. Colorado scored its lone run off Glasnow in the fourth on a leadoff double by Mickey Moniak, who scored on Troy Johnston’s groundout to third.

“(Glasnow) is good, he’s really good,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He threw a curveball that was sharp, and he threw it a ball or two beneath the zone — consistently. We just couldn’t square him up today.”

Actually, the Rockies have never squared up Glasnow. In three career appearances (two starts) against the Rockies, the right-hander is  2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, 19 strikeouts and just three walks.

The Dodgers continue to own the Rockies. Dating back to last season, the Rockies are 2-12 against Big Blue (2-7 at Coors, 0-6 in L.A). Colorado is 12-41 against L.A. since its last series win against the Dodgers on June 27-29, 2022.

Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was solid in his first three starts, posting a 2.16 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. But the Dodgers beat him up Friday night, scoring five runs on nine hits over four innings. Sugano allowed a career-high five extra-base hits and needed 91 pitches, and threw just 51 strikes.

He acknowledged the Coors Field cold, but didn’t use it as an excuse.

“It was, no doubt, one of the coldest outings I’ve had in my career, ” Sugano said, using Yuto Sakuri as his interpreter.  “I don’t want to use it as an excuse because the (opposing) hitters are in the same conditions.”

The first inning provided a strong indication that Sugano was in trouble. Shohei Ohtani led off with a double and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly to deep center. Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth longest in franchise history.

Freddie Freeman ripped a double to right-center before Sugano struck out Teoscar Hernandez to get out of the inning.

Dollander’s role. Starter-turned-reliever Chase Dollander was brilliant in Colorado’s 3-2 win at Houston Thursday night, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a full-time starter any time soon. Manager Warren Schaeffer said Friday that he’ll continue to use an “opener” ahead of Dollander.

Why? Routine and to avoid being overexposed by facing the top of the batting order.

“I’m more than comfortable with where he’s at because he’s having a lot of success doing it,” Schaeffer said. “He’s settled into a routine, and routines are very different from being in the bullpen and starting. Obviously, we want him to be a starter, long-term. But right now we don’t want to mess with the routine.”

As for strategy, Schaeffer said: “The third time through the lineup, he’s not facing the top four hitters, which is a big deal. It’s the main reason why you open with anybody.”

Against the Astros, Dollander entered the game in the first inning, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and struck out a career-high nine. He gave up one run and walked two. On Friday, Dollander said he’s “ready for any role I’m asked to fill.”

Injury updates. Lefty starter Kyle Freeland, who’s on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, underwent an MRI on Friday. The results were encouraging, and the lefty’s stint on the IL should not be a long one. He’s eligible to come off the IL on April 28.

Infielder Willi Castro, hit by a pitch on his right hand on Wednesday night, was out of the lineup again on Friday. However, he’s able to grip the bat better and should return soon.

Pitching probables

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

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

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

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

It’s the revamped Rockies’ catchy slogan for the 2026 season. But getting swept by the Padres in San Diego illustrated just how steep the climb is. Think Mount Everest.

The Padres finished off the four-game set with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. A quintet of San Diego pitchers limited the Rockies to two hits and struck out 12.

The game began ominously for the Rockies. Left-hander Kyle Freeland was scratched from his start when he felt tightness in his left shoulder during his pregame bullpen session. Officially, the Rockies called the injury left posterior shoulder soreness. Manager Warren Schaeffer called Freeland’s status “day to day.”

Will Broncos ownership group gain controlling interest of Rockies? | Journal

"His shoulder just got tight, warming up," Schaeffer told reporters in San Diego. "He just couldn't go today, and it's going to be day to day. We'll look at him and see tomorrow. ... We'll have more information tomorrow."

San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta was perfect for three innings, but he departed with right elbow stiffness. It didn't matter much on Sunday as the Padres pulled off just their second four-game sweep of Colorado in their history, the first since 1999.

Colorado was counting on Freeland to provide a lift. He was 1-1 with a solid 2.30 ERA after his first three starts. But when he couldn't go, the Rockies had to pitch a bullpen game, beginning with Jimmy Herget as the opener. Herget gave up one run in one inning, and Chase Dollander also gave up one run over one inning.

But the Padres teed off on right-hander Valente Bellozo, who gave up five runs on eight hits, including three home runs, over 4 1/3 innings. Bellozo also walked four.

Colorado's offense was a no-show, as it so often is on the road.

"We didn't swing at a lot of strikes early, and we put ourselves behind the eight-ball," Schaeffer said. "Not a lot of good counts for us (today). You can't win with (two) hits."

Catcher Brett Sullivan's two-run double in the fifth inning was the Rockies' first hit of the game and cut San Diego's lead to 3-2.

But the Padres promptly played Home Run Derby off Bellozo to put the game away. Ty France led off the Padres' fourth with a solo shot, Ramon Laureano ripped a two-run blast in the sixth, and Jackson Merrill led off the seventh with a homer.

Colorado's recent four-game winning streak has quickly faded because its offense remains anemic, especially away from Coors Field, where it's hitting .223 with a 28% strikeout rate.

The Padres' recent dominance illustrates how wide the talent gap is between the two teams. Since last season, the Padres have a 14-3 record against the Rockies, winning nine of the last 10. Since Aug. 3, 2024, San Diego's vs. Colorado at Petco Park is 12-1, with the Padres outscoring the Rockies 81-29 during that stretch.

The Rockies are off on Monday before beginning a three-game series at Houston on Tuesday. That's both good news and bad. The Rockies swept three games from the Astros to end their last homestand. However, the Rockies are 1-12 in Houston since 2019.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Wednesday: Rockies TBD at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 2.16) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

For that, the Denver native deserves to be knighted. Or at least have a medal pinned to his No. 21 jersey.

So says former Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who toiled at Coors from 2002-11 and is second on the Coors Field list with 104 career starts.

“Hell yeah, he deserves a badge of honor,” Cook said while driving through Texas cattle country south of San Antonio. “I was there for the better part of 10 years, so for Kyle to do what he’s done? For that long? Hell yeah, he deserves a medal.”

Freeland, who turns 33 on May 14, is off to a strong start this season. Heading into his scheduled start on Sunday in San Diego, he’s 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA after three outings. Last Tuesday night, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, Freeland allowed just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Freeland carries battle scars from the toil and trouble of pitching in LoDo, but that’s not what he likes to talk about.

“I’m very proud of being with one organization for my entire career,” Freeland said. “One, that’s a feat in and of itself. Two, to do it in the hardest park in the majors is its own thing.”

Jason Jennings is the only Rockies player to win National League Rookie of the Year, doing so in 2002 at age 22. In that rookie season, the right-hander made 32 starts and finished 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA.

Jennings had his ups and downs in Colorado before he was traded to Houston after the 2006 season. But even in that final season with the Rockies, Jennings was an effective pitcher, making 32 starts, pitching a career-high 212 innings, and posting a 3.78 ERA.

Today, however, Jennings marvels at Freeland’s toughness and staying power.

“I don’t even think about the pitching aspect of Colorado,” he said. “You have to be so mentally and physically tough. It’s so hard on the mind, so hard to recover. And he has done it for so long.

“It’s a whole different animal. The grind of taking the ball every fifth day, surviving some really tough seasons, surviving Coors Field, it is really impressive. You don’t see many guys last 10 years in the league, let alone at Coors Field. Most guys, after four or five years, it is like, ‘Get me the heck out of here.’ ”

Cook, who spent a week at spring training this year working with Colorado’s minor league pitchers, said that baseball at altitude presents a plethora of problems for pitchers, including:

• Adjusting pitching sights at Coors Field after returning from a road trip. That is, adjusting their mental focus on a specific, small target, like a catcher’s mitt or shoulder, to guide their pitch movement and improve command.

• Realizing that there are going to be games at Coors when you’re going to get shelled, but also realizing that as long as you were one run better than the other guy, you’d done your job — inflated ERA be damned.

• Understanding that the huge outfield can turn a small-scoring inning into a blowout inning in a hurry.

However, Cook said it was the wear and tear, both physically and mentally, that was the hardest thing for him to deal with.

“Listen, I never said anything about Coors Field when I was playing there because I would never give merit to anything outside of my control,” he said. “But now that I’m 15 years removed from it, I can say, Coors Field is not an easy place to pitch. Period.

“But, for me, the hardest part, really, was the recovery. If I had to make two starts on the same homestand, I felt like I had made two starts in three days. It wasn’t just my arm or my legs; it was my whole body. Full fatigue. The mental part fatigues you, too. It just drains you, drains you, drains you.”

Former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd struggled every year trying to figure out how to make starting pitchers effective — and keep them healthy.

“We have found that every starter who has pitched here for 185 to 200 innings for three consecutive years over the lifetime of this franchise has broken down with a significant injury,” O’Dowd told The Post in 2012. “That inability to keep pitchers healthy has been one of our biggest struggles. We have to find a way to change that.”

The current Rockies regime is giving it a go. Paul DePodesta (the new president of baseball operations), a slew of new pitching coaches and coordinators, and manager Warren Schaeffer, are trying to solve the issue by using several long relievers and employing occasional “openers” to start games. The club also plans to limit the number of times a starter takes the mound during a homestand.

“It’s not a hard plan, but if we can avoid (starting a pitcher) twice, we would like to,” Schaeffer said. “It all depends on our schedule and if the availability of the bullpen allows it.  All the numbers show a huge spike in ERA the second time. It just makes sense to try and avoid it.”

Freeland is in the final year of his contract, with a vesting player option. Veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who is now a reliever after struggling as a starter last season, is also in the final year of his contract. Like Freeland, Senzatela made his major league debut in 2017, but injuries (a torn ACL, Tommy John surgery) have limited Senzatela to 145 career starts.

“Speaking for myself and ‘Senza,’ this place isn’t easy, and it can break you down,” Freeland said. “But it shows the kind of people and pitchers that we are, that we are willing to take on that brute force and try to win games here in Colorado.”

Freeland is making $16 million this season and can activate his $17 million option with Colorado for 2027 if he pitches 170 innings. He’s pitched at least 170 innings twice, in 2018 (202 1/3) and in 2022 (174 2/3), but he came close in 2025 (162 2/3).

Though Freeland’s best season was in ’18, when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA for Colorado’s last playoff team, he says he’s better equipped now to endure the rigors of Coors Field.

“One thing I learned when I was younger, from veterans like Tyler Chatwood, is that you have to take care of your body,” Freeland said. “You have to listen to your body. Get in the training room. If something is bugging you, take care of it right away. Because in Colorado, things are going to spiral a lot faster with injuries than they would at sea level. Injuries are worse here, too.”

Now, it’s the young guns like right-hander Chase Dollander who come to Freeland for survival tips.

“Guys ask me all the time, ‘What are the secrets to pitching in Colorado?’ ” Freeland said. “I say, ‘Sleep and drink as much water as you possibly can.’ Those are the two things that you have to take care of.”

Freeland wears his 117 Coors Field starts like a badge of honor, but that’s not what he celebrates most.

“Being here — for 10 years — is the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “Being able to do it with my hometown team, and to stay with one team — something very rare in this age — that makes me so proud.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance. It’s the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that’s all pretty cool.”

Holy Blackout, Batman! Unless a Dark Knight swings in to save the day at the 11th hour, Denver sports faithful appear to once again be on the wrong side of a Comcast/Xfinity dispute that threatens their ability to watch championship-level teams in action.

�ݴھ��Ծ��ٲ���dropped channels owned by E.W. Scripps earlier this month in a contract squabble. Denver’s KMGH-TV (Denver7) is one of those Scripps stations — and, as an ABC affiliate, will be carrying some of the NBA Playoffs and Stanley Cup Playoffs.

ESPN/ABC is slated to air roughly 18 NBA postseason games during the first two rounds, and likely one of the two conference finals series this spring. ESPN/ABC will air the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals exclusively.

While specific games and network assignments have yet to be announced, it doesn’t take a VPN to see where this could be going.

And, frankly, it breaks the hearts — yes, we still have them — of the hoops nerds on the Grading The Week crew. Especially as it was only 15 months ago that Nuggets and Avs fans finally got Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s Altitude channel back on Xfinity after nearly six years of darkness, public sniping and lawsuits.

Comcast/KMGH blackout — D

OK, we hear you. Enough sobbing. So, what are fans’ options for Nuggets and Avs playoff games that they can’t get on Xfinity? You’ve got a few, although none are perfect:

1. Buy a digital antenna. Easy to purchase, easy to install. Signal strength, however, may vary depending on your location.

2. Go full digital.

3. Pay for a streaming option such as Hulu, YouTube or Fubo, for example. (Full disclosure: The higher-ups in the GTW offices have been streaming for ages.)

4. Go full pirate, baby! Yarrrr!

The latter isn’t legal, mind you. But unfortunately, most Nuggets and Avs fans in the metro long ago learned — and frankly, had to learn, thanks to the blackout — how to find their games via more nefarious means.

Rockies making purple cool again? — B

We can’t believe we’re typing this any more than you can believe reading it,  but the Rockies — your Rockies, baseball punching bag, national punchline — had a heck of a week.

Friday morning’s news, as broken by The Post’s Patrick Saunders, brought smiles from FoCo to Castle Rock with the announcement that Broncos owners Carrie Walton-Penner and Greg Penner are purchasing a 40% ownership stake in Colorado’s Major League baseball club.

If nothing else, it probably means a nice cash boost for the Rox as the sport heads into potential labor uncertainty with the expiration of its agreement with the union looming in December. While the Monforts retain control of the team, everything Walton-Penner and Penner have touched with the Broncos so far has turned to gold — or pretty pristine silver, at any rate. It speaks well of the family’s investment in Front Range sports and the Rockies’ long-term prospects, financially and (hopefully) competitively.

Meanwhile, look who’s winning? The Rockies were 2-6 on April 4, you know, same as it ever was. The Phillies rocked Michael Lorenzen in a disastrous 10-1 laugher in the home opener on April 3.

The Rockies went 4-1 over their next five games, with a four-game win streak snapped at San Diego late Thursday night.

Fan fave Mickey Moniak from April 3-8 stirred the drink with three home runs, five RBI and a .714 slugging percentage to lift the middle of the order, while Willi Castro hit .412 and slugged .647 over that span.

Schedule the parades? Not yet. And small sample size, yes. But the last time the Fightin’ Monforts notched at least six wins from their opening 13 games was 2022 (8-5). Their record was 3-10 after a baker’s dozen contests a year ago. They opened 3-10 in ’24; 5-8 in ’23.

The ’22 Rox, by the way. wound up 68-94. If Warren Schaeffer coaxes a 25-win improvement from last year’s 43-119 nadir, give that man your Manager of the Year vote.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitching probables

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

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

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

Monday: Off day.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rolling Rox

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

Pitching probables

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

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

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

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

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

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

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

— Mark, Arvada

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Ned Ryerson, Greeley

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

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

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

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

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

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

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

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

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

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

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

— Murphy, Akron

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

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

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

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

— Phil Donahue, Chico, Calif.

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

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

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

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

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

— Jack, Centennial

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

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

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

— Ryan, Wheat Ridge

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

Eyes might be rolling at those comments, but on Tuesday night at Coors Field, the Rockies walked the walk, beating the Astros 5-1. Starter Kyle Freeland was nails, and Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak both slipped on the celebratory purple faux fur coat after launching home runs.

The Rockies have won three in a row for the first time since their four-game winning streak from Aug. 15-18 of last season and inched back toward .500 with a 5-6 record.

“Listen, this is a different team, this is a new team, ” Schaeffer said. “This is not the same team as last year. The more we can start moving away from talking about last year, I think the better.

“That’s not even a mention in that clubhouse. We are worried about this team right now, and we feel like we are playing good baseball right now.”

Here’s the deal with Freeland. He’s dealing. The lefty, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, allowed one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. After three starts, he has a 2.30 ERA.

Freeland was commanding — with all of his pitches. He landed 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes, surrendered three hits, walked only two, and struck out five. He fanned the dangerous Jose Altuve twice. The Astros frequently topped the ball, resulting in 10 outs via groundballs.

“I felt pretty good from the jump,” said Freeland, who posted his 54th career quality start at Coors Field, leaving him just three starts shy of tying Aaron Cook for the most quality starts by a pitcher at Coors all-time.

“Everything was working, the changeup was working later in the game, the fastball location was great, and I was keeping them off-balance with offspeed, and the breaker was down in the zone,” he continued.

Freeland, who has a 2.30 ERA after three starts, has had a love-hate relationship with his changeup throughout his 10-year career, but he’s throwing it with confidence at the moment after working with new pitching coach Alon Leichman.

“The changeup, as you guys know, has been a pitch I have struggled with throughout my entire career, trying to find a good grip, trying to find a good way to throw it, and understand the pitch,” he said. “But working with Alon and our pitching coaches this offseason and in camp, we have got something that we really like with the grip, and executing it has really come along nicely. Tonight really showed the work we put in on it.”

Castro showed why Colorado signed him to a two-year, $12.8 million contract. The versatile veteran infielder, who started at second base Tuesday night, hit 3 for 4 and drove in three Rockies runs.

The switch-hitter put Colorado ahead to stay with a two-run homer in the fourth off Astros starter Mike Burrows. Castro smashed Burrows’ 2-1, 87.7 mph slider 436 feet and into the Colorado bullpen in right field. The home run was Castro’s first in a Rockies uniform and snapped his 32-game homerless streak, the third-longest of his career.

Moniak hit his team-leading third home run of the season in the seventh, a two-out, two-run blast to right off reliever Kai-Wei Teng. He was rewarded by teammates slipping the purple coat on his shoulders.

“It was warm, it was really warm for April, for sure,” Moniak said. “But it’s cool … it’s an awesome coat.”

The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second on Christian Walker’s homer down the right-field line. He lofted Freeland’s 0-1 fastball 371 feet, sneaking it over the wall and just inside the foul pole.

Colorado tied the game in the bottom of the frame, combining an infield hit by Troy Johnston, a walk by T.J. Rumfield, and an RBI single to left by Castro.

The game’s bonus came from right-hander Antonio Senzatela, the former starter who was moved to the bullpen. He pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, striking out three, and walking none. Senezatela logged the first career save in his 181st career appearance.

“You know, it was amazing being a starter, and now saving a game is amazing,” he said. “You always dream of that back on the field when (you’re) a kid, trying to close a game. Doing it in the big leagues is nice.”

Colorado looks for its first sweep of the season when it hosts Houston on Wednesday afternoon at Coors.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Astros RHP Cristian Javier (0-1, 12.96 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 14.73), 1:10 p.m.

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

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