Rockies hunt for rare wins against sluggish Cubs

(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

For a team that is 35 games under .500, the Colorado Rockies showed plenty of fight late in the season.

Colorado has won three straight games in recent attempts at play, including the first two games of a three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.

After Saturday’s extra-innings victory, the Rockies (57-92) will face undefeated Chicago in Sunday’s finale in Denver.

“I’m not surprised — we’re just playing hard and focused,” Colorado coach Bud Black said after the Rockies won 6-5 in 10 innings on Saturday.

“… I’m never surprised by anything other than total focus, preparation and work before the game and then how we play. That’s what our guys do. The players set the standard among themselves.”

The Rockies’ recent winning streak began Thursday with a two-run game in the ninth inning that gave Colorado a 4-2 victory on the road against the Detroit Tigers.

The next night, the Rockies trailed the Cubs 5–2 in the eighth inning before Hunter Goodman hit the deciding grand slam to end the inning to give Colorado a 9–5 victory.

Saturday’s rally was perhaps the most dramatic.

The Rockies trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth and had just one strikeout left before Goodman got a walk to complete the score. Sam Hilliard followed with a pinch-hit, two-run home run to tie the score, and Brenton Doyle won the game for Colorado a run later with an RBI single.

“These young guys are learning what it takes to win in the majors … and compete in high-level games, high-pressure situations,” Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland said. “… Win, lose or tie, they’re learning, which is great.”

Cal Quantrill is scheduled to play Sunday, and Colorado will win just its third series this season; the first two wins will come in back-to-back series May 10-15 against the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.

Quantrill (8-9, 4.63 ERA) has not played since Aug. 27 after spending 15 days on the injured list with right triceps inflammation. The right-handed pitcher is 1-2 with an 8.38 ERA in six appearances (three starts) against Chicago over his six-year career.

The Cubs (75-73) will respond with right-hander Kyle Hendricks (3-11, 6.51) trying to snap a three-game losing streak. Saturday’s loss dropped Chicago six games out of the final National League wild-card spot with 14 games remaining.

“You can’t let (Saturday’s game) define the last two weeks, and it won’t,” Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “This is a group that shows up at the park and does the same job every day and is ready to play with anyone.”

Crow-Armstrong hit a home run and added a stolen base Saturday, continuing his resurgence after a difficult first few months. The 22-year-old rookie has a .310 average with six home runs and 27 RBIs since July 26.

Right fielder Cody Bellinger also went deep Saturday and is 8-for-20 (.400) with three homeruns and nine RBIs in the first five games of Chicago’s six-game road trip. Third baseman Isaac Paredes is 10-for-19 (.526) in that span.

The Cubs scored four runs against Quantrill in four innings in a 9-8 win in Chicago on April 3.

Hendricks last faced the Rockies in 2021. The 11-year veteran is 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 10 career starts against Colorado.

–Field Level Media