The Rockies tried (and failed) to even the series.
With Chase Dollander playing in front of, essentially, a hometown crowd, the Colorado Rockies hoped the good energy would help them even up their series with the Atlanta Braves.
However, when the game had ended, Atlanta won, 4-1 with Ronald Acuña, Jr. having another productive day while the Rockies offense (again) stalled behind an astonishing 19 strikeouts.
Dollander continues to learn
Chase Dollander got off to a rough start, walking the first two batters he faced (Ronald Acuña Jr. and Alex Verdugo) and allowing a run to score before the Rockies managed to get their first out. A double-play ended the inning with the Rockies only down one. However, Dollander had already thrown 22 pitches to Spencer Strider’s eight.
In the second inning, Acuña Jr. hit a home run, the 13th homer Dollander has surrendered this year, making the score 3-0.
(Over the course of two games, the Rockies have largely failed to keep Acuña from reaching base. On Friday’s game, he had three hits and a walk; on Saturday, he continued the trend, getting on base three times and scoring each of them before the Rockies finally got him out in the seventh on a routine 6-3 out.)
Although he got off to a rough start, Dollander settled in after the second inning, moving quickly through Atlanta’s lineup until the fifth when Acuña Jr. again got on base and was brought home on an Austin Riley base hit.
Ultimately, Dollander went six innings (97 pitches), giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits, and three walks. He also struck out four.
“For me, that was a big game for Chase,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said, pointing to Dollander’s curveball, the effectiveness of his two-seamer, and his ability to get ahead in counts.
“He threw a nice game for us and gave us a chance.”
Missing again: The offense
The Rockies inconsistent offense struggled against former Cy Young contender Spencer Strider, who was in top form again today in his sixth start of the season. (Or maybe it was just the Rockies.)
In the first three innings, Strider struck out six of the first nine batters he faced until Tyler Freeman scored a single in the third with two out. However, Sam Hilliard would follow that with a K to end the inning, bringing Strider to seven K of the first 10 batters he faced. (He was at (32 pitches, 28 for strikes).
Finally, in the fifth inning with two outs, Kyle Farmer scored the Rockies first extra-base hit, but Freeman followed that with a strikeout, ending the inning.
In the sixth inning, Strider’s velocity began to drop, and he issued an inning-lead walk to Sam Hilliard, but Strider got out of it easily.
As for the box score, Spencer Strider went six innings, giving up zero runs, striking out 13 and walking one on 87 pitches.
Schaeffer said, “We just didn’t have an answer for him [Strider].”
After Strider left the game, Atlanta’s bullpen locked things down as the Rockies continued to chase.
The Rockies did manage to avoid the shutout by scoring in the ninth inning when an Austin Riley error put Hunter Goodman. A Brenton Doyle single scored the run.
The Rockies finished the day with four hits, one run, one walk, and 19 strikeouts, a new record for 2025. Their 19 Ks is a franchise record for a nine-inning game.
(Their previous high this season was 17 when the Rockies faced the Washington Nationals in May.)
Only Thairo Estrada did not strikeout.
“Sometimes, you just run into a pitcher that just dominates you,” Schaeffer said. “That happened today.”
Anthony Molina gets the job done
It was not a great day for the Rockies, but it was a good day for the Rockies bullpen.
Anthony Molina entered in relief of Dollander and pitched two innings, facing seven batters, giving up one hit, zero walks, and striking out two.
Between Dollander’s quality start and Molina’s two innings of relief, one positive of the game was preserving the bullpen to fight another day.
FYI
Granted, the 2025 Colorado Rockies are not good. Also true, though, is that they cannot catch a break.
Case in point:
Brenton Doyle, man. A lot of bad luck at the plate in 2025.
Highest hard-hit/barrel rates of his career, an xBA that’s nearly 50 points higher than his actual BA.
Just barreled another one to CF with a .670 xBA that lands in the glove of Michael Harris II.
— Manny Randhawa (@MannyOnMLB) June 14, 2025
At some point, it’ll surely change, right?
With the loss, the Rockies record falls to 13-57 while Atlanta’s improves to 31-38.
Coming next
Tomorrow, the Rockies will look to avoid the sweep in Game 3, which is at 11:35 am. Austin Gomber will make the 2025 MLB debut.
See you then.
This story has been updated to include quotes from interim manager Warren Schaeffer.
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