Noah Spirek | @NoahSpirek | July 7, 2024
The Royals dominated Sunday, but the Rockies took the series by virtue of their victories on Friday and Saturday.
Game Story
Colorado starting pitcher Tanner Gordon made his Major League debut on Sunday, and he struck out the first two hitters he faced, including dispatching Bobby Witt Jr. on three pitches.
The Royals jumped on him in the second with three consecutive singles to begin the frame, the first of which represented Salvador Perez’s 1,500th career hit. Perez would score on a Freddy Fermin RBI single, and the big blow in the inning was a three-run homer off the bat of Maikel Garcia. Garcia’s sixth blast of the year propelled Kansas City to a 4-0 lead.
The middle innings were dominated by the starters for both sides. Royals starter Brady Singer pitched extremely well, firing seven innings, allowing one run while surrendering just six hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Gordon, after the second inning, settled in and had a strong debut. He was efficient all afternoon, consistently working ahead in counts. He ended up throwing 6.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. He struck out four.
The next marker in the game came in the seventh, when MJ Melendez hooked a changeup from Gordon into the right field seats for a solo homer.
The Rockies finally notched a run in the seventh via a two-out RBI single from Nolan Jones. Jones, who entered the game just 3-for-23 with 12 strikeouts over his prior 23 at-bats, looked to the sky and exhaled a deep breath of relief upon reaching first base.
Unfortunately for Colorado, the one run was all they could produce on Sunday.
The Royals tagged reliever Justin Lawrence for two runs in the 8th, then tacked on three more in the 9th against Ty Blach. The headliner was a three-run shot by Bobby Witt Jr. in the ninth, widening the winning margin to 10-1.
On a dreary day on the scoreboard, Colorado walked out of Coors Field with two shining rays of sunlight.
First, the aforementioned debut from Tanner Gordon, who became the first starter in franchise history to strike out each of the first two batters he faced. He is also the sixth Rockies pitcher to pitch 6.1 innings or more in their debut at Coors Field.
The other silver lining was the announcement of the All-Star Game rosters, which featured third baseman Ryan McMahon as the Rockies representative, who was voted in as a result of player balloting. The selection marks the 29-year-old’s first career All-Star selection, and I wrote about it here.
Quotes
Manager Bud Black on Tanner Gordon’s start: “There’s a lot of good things to draw from this one for sure. We’ll start with the stuff. Four-pitch mix… fastball / slider was probably the best stuff. The change-up was impressive though, too… A lot of swings and misses on the change-up, some whiffs on the slider, enough fastball. I think the curveball will eventually show up, so I think the stuff will play.”
Bud Black on McMahon’s All-Star Selection: “I think the time has come that he’s getting recognized… Great for Mac. I think he’s deserving… The last few years [he’s been] a durable, everyday player that goes to the post, plays hard. It’s good to see that he’s recognized.”
Tanner Gordon on his debut: “I had a lot of family there, lot of friends. But after I threw the first pitch, all the nerves kind of settled down and I was able to go out there and throw as many strikes as I could.”
Notes
Aaron Schunk recorded his first Major League hit with his single in the third inning.
Tanner Gordon’s 6.1 innings pitched represent the longest outing by a Rockies pitcher in their first Major League start since Peter Lambert on June 16, 2019, at the Cubs (7.0 IP).
Even with an 0-4 performance Sunday, Brenton Doyle is batting .524 (11-for-21) with eight extra-base hits and a 1.886 OPS in his six games in July.
What’s Next for the Colorado Rockies?
The Rockies continue their stretch of 17 games in 17 days on Monday in Cincinnati, where they will open a four-game series against the Reds. These two teams matched up in early June, when the Reds swept a three-game series at Coors Field. On Monday, probable starters are RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.60 ERA) for Colorado and LHP Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28 ERA) for Cincinnati. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10pm MT.
Story by Noah Spirek.
ICYMI: Beyond the Ballplayer: Ryan McMahon
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