Tigers 8, Rockies 6 (10): Colorado wastes late scoring chances

Toglia and McMahon homered, but the Rockies couldn’t get clutch hit in the 9th or 10th

In a game with promising young starters on the mound, the spotlight instead fell to the offenses, and the Rockies weren’t able to keep up with the Tigers in an extra-inning loss on Wednesday night.

In the battle of the No. 9 overall MLB Draft pick from 2023, 23-year-old RHP Chase Dollander, against the No. 3 overall MLB Draft, 22-year-old RHP Jackson Jobe, neither made it out of the fourth inning. The Rockies out-hit the Tigers 13-10, but couldn’t get the clutch hits when it mattered.

Missed Chances Late

Ryan McMahon, who went 4-for-4 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored, hit a one-out double off the left center field wall in the ninth inning and became the would-be winning run at second. Hunter Goodman, who extended his hitting streak to eight games in the first inning, struck out looking, Michael Toglia walked, and Kyle Farmer pinch-hit, only to strike out looking.

In the 10th, with Farmer on second, Mickey Moniak drew a lead-off walk to bring the winning run to the plate in Alan Trejo, who hit into a double play. Adael Amador then flew out to leave Moniak at second and end the game.

To make things worse, Jordan Beck and Trejo avoided a near collision that resulted in Beck dropping a Trey Sweeney flyball that drove in Detroit’s eighth run. Initially ruled a double, it was later changed to an error on Beck, which helped preserve Zach Agnos’ perfect 0.00 ERA on the season in 9 ¹⁄₃ innings, even though Agnos took the loss.

McMahon and Toglia Go Yard

Entering the game, Jobe had only given up three homers in 24 innings of work. He gave up two in three innings and was chased from the game after 3 ²⁄₃ innings of work with six runs on eight hits on Wednesday night. McMahon put the Rockies up first when he hit a two-run shot 436 feet to center field for his fourth homer of the season. The ball exited the field at 110.9 mph, making it the hardest hit homer of the year for Colorado.

Jordan Beck, who singled before McMahon, scored as well, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

In the third inning, it was Toglia’s turn. With one out and McMahon, who drew a walk, on first, Toglia hit a 413-foot blast to right field to help the Rockies regain a 5-3 lead.

Jobe entered the game with opposing teams hitting .118 when he threw his slider. Both Toglia’s and McMahon’s homers came on the slider. Toglia also added two doubles in a three-hit night. McMahon also singled and doubled in the game, recording his first four-hit game of the season.

Dollander Loses Command

Dollander started the game attacking the zone, retiring the first six Tigers he faced. He did that with just 28 pitches, 19 of which were strikes. The trouble came in the third when Dollander gave up a lead-off walk before Trey Sweeney and Javier Báez hit back-to-back doubles with Báez’s driving in two runs. Kerry Carpenter singled and Gleyber Torres hit a sac fly to tie the game. Colt Keith followed with a single, but, luckily, Dollander got a lineout and groundout to escape further damage.

Unfortunately, Dollander’s command was worse the next inning. After the game, Bud Black said the performance was not due to the broken fingernail that caused a loss of command and forced an early exit in his last start, but Dollander issued a walk, a hit-by-a-pitch and another walk. Báez made him pay with another two-run hit, this time a single that gave him a four-RBI night. Leaving two runners on base, including one who came around to score, Dollander’s night ended with giving up six runs on five hits with three walks, one HBP, and no strikeouts in three innings. He remains at 2-3 on the season, but ballooned his ERA to 7.71.

The Benefit of a Rested Bullpen

Jake Bird continued his success in the long reliever role, tossing a scoreless three innings with three strikeouts, only giving up two hits. On the season, Bird has a 1.93 ERA in 23 ¹⁄₃ innings over 15 appearances. Scott Alexander didn’t have a good night, giving up a double and a walk, but he did also record one strikeout in the sixth before being pulled in favor of Seth Halvorsen. Halvorsen surrendered one walk sandwiched between two strikeouts to keep the score tied at 6-6. Despite giving up a lead-off single in the eighth, Halvorsen’s defense helped him out when they got Báez to hit into a double play and Halvorsen run up Dillon Dingler. Halvorsen posted three strikeouts in 1 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings.

Zach Agnos was great in the ninth, throwing a three-up, three-down inning. He got help from an outstanding diving catch from Toglia to end the inning.

After the Rockies wasted the bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth, Black sent Agnos back out in the 10th. Spencer Torkleson led off with a double, scoring Riley Greene, who started the inning at second, and didn’t count as an earned run. Agnos got a strikeout and ground out before the fielding error allowed another run to give Detroit the win.

Up Next

The Rockies and Tigers will be back in action for a doubleheader on Thursday. Game 1 will start at 1:10 p.m. and Kyle Freeland (0-4, 5.70 ERA) will face off against Detroit’s Casey Mize (5-1, 2.71 ERA). Game 2, which will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1, will see RHP Tanner Gordon make his 2025 MLB for the Rockies and the Tigers have yet to name their starter.