The Rockies’ losing streak continues.
Game 1: Tigers 10, Rockies 2
It was an ugly start to the afternoon for the Colorado Rockies as they dropped the first game of the doubleheader as Kyle Freeland struggled on the hill, the defense lapsed, and the offense stalled out.
Freeland’s start
Freeland (0-5, 6.41 ERA) entered the game on the heels of a strong outing in San Francisco. It was known he would give up contact, but he’s been able to tightrope walk his way out of situations. After a lead-off single to begin the game, Freeland quickly got Gleyber Torres to ground into a double play. The Tigers then rallied for three straight hits, including a double, to take an early 2-0 lead.
Javier Báez sent a ball deep to center for an out to lead off the second before two singles and a walk loaded the bases. After an RBI from Torres and a defensive miscue (more on that in a second), the Tigers tallied five more runs to make it a 7-0 ball game. They would go on to add two more in the third against Freeland.
On the day, Freeland lasted just three innings, giving up nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits with two strikeouts and a walk. The Tigers stayed aggressive and kept making contact against Freeland. He got no run support once again and the defense didn’t help his cause.
Defensive miscues
The Rockies made three errors in the game. Andy Ibáñez hit a double in the first to drive in a run and was able to advance to third on a throwing error by second baseman Adael Amador, who went to throw the ball and saw it flip out of his hand.
In the second inning, Zach McKinstry bounced a ball to short that could have potentially been an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately, Alan Trejo couldn’t field the ball cleanly and saw it kick away in front of him out of reach, allowing Trey Sweeney to score and keep the bases loaded with one out.
In the third inning, Báez doubled to left field and moved up to third on a single from Sweeney. Báez had stopped at third because it was hit sharply to right field and Mickey Moniak picked it up quickly. Moniak’s throw was somewhat off line and skipped underneath the glove of Michael Toglia on its way to the plate. Hunter Goodman was positioned to block and pick up the ball, but it went underneath his glove and kicked away, allowing Báez to score and move Sweeney to second base.
The defense has not been good for the Rockies, who lead all of baseball in unearned runs.
Offensive woes
The Rockies weren’t able to get much going against Casey Mize. Their lone run against him came in the fifth after Nick Martini singled, Moniak doubled, and Trejo hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Before that, he had allowed a lead-off single to Brenton Doyle in the first and retired the next 13 straight batters.
Beck led off the ninth with a triple and scored on a sac fly by Goodman but the Rockies ended up striking out 11 times against one walk with just four hits. Ryan McMahon ended up striking out four times in the game.
Angel from on high
The Rockies are already taxed with no off day until next Thursday and playing in their third doubleheader of the season, Freeland going three innings was not ideal. However, there was some respite in the form of Angel Chivilli. Taking on an unexpected role of long relief, Chivilli has found plenty of success, and he found a gear that the Rockies needed. Chivilli cruised through 3 2⁄3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts while throwing 39 pitches. Juan Mejia helped out in relief, going 2 1⁄3 innings with five strikeouts to finish the game.
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Game 2: Tigers 11, Rockies 1
Both starting pitchers, Tanner Gordon and Keider Montero, were up for the game from their respective Triple-A teams as the 27th man for a doubleheader. As a reminder, in 2024, Montero scored a complete-game shutout against the Rockies on September 10. He would not repeat that feat though he would get the win, going 8.0 innings.
The Rockies started the scoring in the bottom of the second when an Owen Miller hit brought Mickey Moniak home. (Why Tigers third baseman Jace Jung did not opt for third will forever be a mystery, but the Rockies were the beneficiary. It would be their only run of the day.)
Another back-breaking big inning
The Rockies lead was short-lived, however, as the Tigers would bat around the order in the top of the third. When the smoke had cleared, the Tigers had a 6-1 lead in the wake of a cavalcade of singles and doubles — seven in total — and some defensive miscues, including a Ryan McMahon glove malfunction.
The Rockies had a chance to get back into the game in the third when they loaded the bases with only one out. However, Michael Toglia hit into a double-play to end the inning.
After that, the game settled in.
Rockies offense: AWOL
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Rockies offense was ineffective, getting only five hits and one run. When they needed a big hit early, back in the third, it never came, which set the tone for the rest of the game.
They managed four walks and struck out four times.
Gordon pitches through it
The Rockies needed length from Gordon given that Chase Dollander had only lasted 3.0 innings in Wednesday’s game while Freeland went just three innings in the early match. On that front, Gordon came through.
He pitched 6 1⁄3 innings, giving up 10 hits, seven for runs (all earned). He walked one and struck out four, throwing 89 pitches, 66 for strikes.
The bullpen was not helpful
Tyler Kinley entered in relief of Gordon and gave up a two-run homer to Colt Keith, making the score 8-1.
Over 1 1⁄3 innings, Kinley allowed three hits, one run (earned), one walk, and one strikeout on 34 pitches (22 for Ks). With the bases loaded and two outs, he turned the game over to Scott Alexander.
Alexander needed one out. Instead, he surrendered a double to Justyn-Henry Malloy, in for Kerry Carpenter, who promptly hit a bases-clearing double. The score ballooned to 11-1.
Bud Black turned to infielder Alan Trejo to finish the game. Trejo gave up a leadoff single that was erased in a subsequent double play off a Riley Greene grounder. A groundout to Kyle Farmer finished Trejo’s outing.
He threw 16 pitches, eight for strikes, and gave up one hit.
Total attendance
For both games, the Rockies reported 23,030.
Historic moment (of the not-good variety)
With this loss, the Rockies have tied the 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
Worst 37-game starts in MLB history:
6-31 <—– 1988 Baltimore Orioles
6-31 <—– 2025 Colorado Rockies— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 9, 2025
Up Next
The Rockies, now 6-31, will welcome the San Diego Padres (23-13) to Coors Field for the first time this season. Colorado will look for some payback after getting blanked for three straight games in San Diego in April.
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