Athletics 7, Rockies 4
The Athletics notched a three-run outburst in both the sixth and seventh innings for a 7–4 comeback victory over the Colorado Rockies Saturday evening in Denver. It was the Rockies’ sixth consecutive loss.
Left-handed starter JP Sears spun his second Quality Start of the season, this time earning the win. Facing 26 hitters across 6 1/3 innings, he allowed three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out two while allowing one home run.
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, for the second straight day, belted the go-ahead hit, this time a two-run double down the left-field line. He also fell victim to a rare around-the-horn triple play, grounding into the 5–4–3 triple killing in the second inning. It was the first time anyone from the Athletics hit into a triple play since 2021.
Athletics – Rockies Game Summary
The Rockies, after turning the triple play, promptly took a 2–0 lead in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Kyle Farmer doubled to left-center before Sean Bouchard ripped a high-arcing clout into the left-field seats. They padded their lead in the third when Hunter Goodman grounded into a 6–4–3 double play with no one out and the bases loaded. Brenton Doyle scored from third on the play.
The Athletics slashed the deficit to 3–1 in the top of the fourth off Rockies starter German Marquez. Lawrence Butler led off with an infield single, outracing Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia to the bag on a slow bouncer. Replays suggested that Toglia beat Butler to first, but the Rockies could not challenge due to an unsuccessful attempt in the second inning. Butler advanced to second on a Brent Rooker groundout. He took third on a wild pitch and scored the unearned run when catcher Hunter Goodman’s throw to third missed wide to the right by at least 20 feet.
The Athletics took the lead in the sixth. With no outs and runners on first and second, Tyler Soderstrom laced a double down the right-field line, scoring JJ Bleday from second and advancing Shea Langeliers to third. That brought up Wilson for the go-ahead double.
In the seventh, the Athletics extended their lead to 7–3 thanks to two homers with a walk sandwiched in between. Rooker launched a one-out solo shot to dead center, barely eluding Doyle’s leaping robbery attempt. Bleday walked, his third free pass of the game, before Langeliers brought him home with a no-doubter to dead center. A solo home run in the bottom of the eighth by Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, who started the triple play, completed the scoring.
What Went Right for the Athletics
Plate Discipline
The Athletics drew seven walks, three each by Bleday and Langeliers, while limiting themselves to six strikeouts. Six of those walks were off Marquez, forcing him to tire earlier due to using more pitches to get through innings.
Capitalization on Opponent Mistakes
When Marquez tired in the sixth, the Athletics pounced. Getting into the Rockies’ struggling relief unit was huge. Rockies starters entered the game with a major league-leading 1.64 ERA (7 ER, 38 1/3 IP), but Rockies relievers entered the game with a 7.89 ERA (19 ER, 21 2/3 IP). Additionally, Rockies relievers entered the game with a 52% Scoreless Outing Percentage (13-of-25), also last in the majors.
Resilience
The Athletics did not let the second-inning triple play or a 3–0 deficit defeat them. They remained patient at the plate and took advantage of the opportunities in the sixth and seventh.
Clutch Pitching
The Athletics did not let the Rockies chip away at their 7–3 lead in the seventh despite having runners on first and second with one out. They also limited the damage in the eighth to only one run even though the Rockies brought the tying run to the plate.
What Went Wrong for the Athletics
Inopportune Ground Balls
The Athletics had runners on first and second with nobody out in the second but came up empty after the triple play. In the very next inning, they had a runner on first with one out and also came up fruitless, grounding into a side-retiring double play.
Quick Hits
Wilson’s nine-game hitting streak to open the season is the longest by an Athletic since Billy Butler opened the 2015 season with 12. He also has not struck out in 55 consecutive plate appearances dating to the bottom of the sixth on September 22, 2024. It is the longest active streak in the majors. … Rooker now leads the Athletics with four homers and has gone yard in three of his last four games. … Sears has won both of his career starts at Coors Field, allowing four earned runs across 11 1/3 innings (3.18 ERA). He also has logged three straight quality starts dating to his last start of the 2024 season.
The triple play was the fifth in Rockies history and the first since victimizing Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 1, 2015. It came in the ninth inning of the first game of a double header at Coors Field. The play went from Jose Reyes to DJ LeMahieu to Ben Paulsen.
Wilson’s father, Jack, also participated in a triple play. This came with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 12, 2009 against the Cincinnati Reds. With Brandon Phillips on second and Jay Bruce on first, Wilson caught a line drive from Edwin Encarnacion. He fed Freddy Sanchez at second to force Phillips, and Sanchez fired to first baseman Adam LaRoche to force Bruce. … The younger Wilson became the first player to hit in a triple play before striking out in a season since Orlando Palmeiro of the St. Louis Cardinals lined into one on April 10, 2003. Wilson is the first player to ground into a triple play before striking out in a season since Bobby Bonilla did so for the Baltimore Orioles on April 3, 1996.
I Got It! I Got It! WHOOPS!
An adult Rockies fan sitting in the front row of the left-field seats camped under Bouchard’s home-run ball in the second. Despite wearing a glove and being in good position, he missed the big fly and fell onto the seat of his pants. Watch below:
Looking Ahead
Sears (1–1, 3.46 ERA) earned the win with Marquez (0–1, 2.45 ERA) taking the loss. Mason Miller pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.
The Athletics (4–5) will go for the sweep of the slumping Rockies (1–7) Sunday afternoon at Coors Field. Joey Estes (0–1) will take the hill for the Athletics against top Rockies pitching prospect Chase Dollander (major league debut) in a battle of right-handers. First pitch from Coors Field will be at 12:10 pm Pacific.
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