This is your Colorado Rockies Mile High Sports Report for the week of June 12-18.
This Week
The Rox went 2-5 this week, taking the series against the Red Sox in Boston before suffering a four-game sweep in Atlanta in which they lost by a combined run total of 40-12. Colorado pitching surrendered 12 home runs over the weekend, the most they’ve ever given up in a four-game set on the road and the most they’ve given up in any series since 2005.
They are now 29-45 on the year and remain in last place in the National League West.
They made a couple of transactions this week as reliever Gavin Hollowell and catcher Jorge Alfaro were called up while catcher Brian Serven was optioned and pitcher Dinelson Lamet was DFA’d.
Ryan McMahon has reached base in 23 of his last 25 with 12 multi-hit games since May 23. He is hitting .378 (36-for-95) with seven doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 23 RBI and 15 walks over that span. Since May 23, McMahon is second in the NL in OBP and slugging, and third in OPS (1.134). His 20 doubles on the season are tied for the fifth-most in the NL.
Brenton Doyle swiped his 10th base of the season Thursday in Atlanta, six more than anyone else on the club. He is the first Rockie in history to begin his career with 10 steals in his first 38 games. He has been caught twice.
Doyle’s outfield assist on Tuesday was recorded at 99.2 miles per hour via Statcast, the second fastest throw on an outfield assist in the Majors this season. He has three of the top five fastest throws among all outfield assists in MLB.
Since his recall from Triple-A on May 26, Nolan Jones is slashing .324/.400/.563 with five doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI and four stolen bases while recording a hit in 15 of 20 games. He ranks 10th in the NL in slugging, 11th in batting and 12th in OPS (.963) during this span. (Before Sunday).
The 25-year-old’s walk-off home run last Sunday vs. San Diego was the first of his career, and the first walk-off home run by a Rockie since Elias Díaz on Sept. 9, 2022. Measured at 472 feet, it’s the longest walk-off home run in baseball in the Statcast Era (since 2015) and the eighth-longest overall in the Majors this season. Jones also hit a 483-foot home run on June 7, the second-longest home run in the Majors this season. He is the only player in the Majors with two of the 10 longest home runs in baseball this season.
Catcher Elias Díaz’s and Ryan McMahon’s 1.2 defensive WAR are tied for the fifth-best in baseball.
This Week in Rockies History
On June 10, 2002, the Rockies played at Fenway Park for the first time, taking a 7-3 loss. The Rockies’ lineup featured three-consecutive ‘Todd’s’ – Todd Helton batting fourth, Todd Zeile batting fifth and Todd Hollandsworth batting sixth. On the pitching side, Denny Neagle started the game for Colorado and was relieved by Denny Stark. Of course. They went on to star in a new sitcom, Four Todds and Two Dennys.
On June 12 1996, Marvin Freeman, Darren Holmes and Ryan Hawblitzel combined to toss nine shutout innings vs. the Astros in a 8-0 win, the first Rockies shutout in Coors Field history.
On June 14, 2015, Jorge De La Rosa earned his 73rd career win, at Miami, surpassing Aaron Cook for the Rockies’ all-time win record.
On June 16, 1992 Bend, Ore., hosted the first game in organization history, a Single-A Northwest League contest between the Bend Rockies and the Boise Hawks with the Rockies trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth, catcher Will Scalzitti hit a grand slam to give his club a dramatic 6-4 win.
On June 18, 2017, Arenado hit a triple, single, double and walk-off home run to become the fifth player in Major League history to complete the cycle on a walk-off home run, the seventh cycle in Rockies history. It was the first cycle to be completed with the batter’s team trailing in Major League history.