The Colorado Rockies recorded their first win of the 2025 MLB season on Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
A day after a heartbreaking loss in walk-off fashion, the bullpen held on this time and the defense was spectacular. They needed to be as the Rays outhit the Rox 12 to six.
Here are your Ups and Downs:
Up: Defense
It started early with a picture-perfect relay from Jordan Beck in left to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to catcher Hunter Goodman to nail a runner at the plate in the first.
In the second, Tovar and second baseman Kyle Farmer each made with fantastic plays to save runs. Nick Martini threw out a runner at the plate in the third. Brenton Doyle made diving catch in the fifth. Ryan McMahon had three fantastic plays at third and Michael Toglia spent the entire day flashing phenomenal picks. He also made an excellent play to end a threat in the eighth.
The defense is clearly the best part of this team right now and it won them this ballgame.
Down: Antonio Senzatela
He wasn’t absolutely awful and much can and should be said for the way he battled on a day when he clearly didn’t have his best stuff.
After a very solid spring he just couldn’t locate anything with consistency. Even though he only walked two, he spent a lot of time in upside-down and extended counts. He surrendered nine hits and only managed to throw 44 of his 78 pitches for strikes.
He became the first pitcher in 39 years to allow nine hits with no runs and no strikeouts. He was the biggest beneficiary of the golden gloves behind him.
Up: Doyle and Farmer in the Clutch
All that said, you do have to cross the plate if you’re gonna win. Brenton Doyle, in the third, and Kyle Farmer, in the seventh, were able to produce where the Rays spent so much time finding frustration.
Doyle was backed up in a 1-2 count and shortened up to hit a hard gounder back up the middle for his first hit and RBI of 2025. Farmer faced an even more dire 0-2 count with Goodman at second and likewise took a measured contact approach to line a soft single to right, making it 2-0.
It wasn’t flashy but these two key hits turned out to be all the Rockies needed.
Down: Walks
It was an all-around inefficient day for Rockies pitching despite very nearly tossing a shutout. While each guy out of the bullpen contributed to the win, they also added three walks on the day bringing the total to five.
Luis Peralta acquitted himself nicely with a big strikeout but his walk was scary. As was a free pass followed by a wild pitch from Jimmy Herget, but again, he used his defense to prevent any runs from scoring. Angel Chilli was the one who got bit, giving up a run on two hits and, of course, a walk.
Up: Seth Halvorsen
Chivilli, the Rockies, and the ballgame were saved by Seth Halvorsen who picked up a rare 1.1 IP Save.
He sat on his usual 99 MPH with the heater and showed off some excellent movement with the offspeed, slamming the door shut on a potential rally in the eighth and pitching a clean nith, not allowing a base runner and striking out one.
Down: Six Hits, Nine Strikeouts
It wasn’t double-digit strikeouts again… but it was close. Kris Bryant had one good swing late but struck out twice in fairly non-competitive at-bats.
Nobody in the lineup tallied more than one hit and the only extra-base hit of the game was a double from Goodman in the seventh to set up the Farmer RBI single.
What’s Next: Rockies @ Rays 11:40 MT
We have ourselves the first Sunday afternoon rubber match of 2025 and it’ll be morning baseball for those who reside in Colorado.
The Rockies send Ryan Feltner to the hill. He was the only pitcher a season ago to post an above-league average ERA+ at 105. The Rays counter with Taj Bradley who pitched to a 4.11 ERA in 138 innings in 2024.
