Quiet bats remain as Rockies lose their 3rd straight
The Rockies are becoming pretty predictable in 2025. Wednesday was no different. Another game, another disappointing offensive showing, another great performance from Colorado’s starting pitcher and another rough outing for the bullpen.
Zach Wheeler dominated the Rockies bats and Kyle Freeland shined, but the Rockies lost 5-1 to Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Only five games in, this same outcome is getting old fast as the Rockies dropped to 1-4.
2 touchdowns of strikeouts
The Rockies struck out 14 times. Yeah. Fourteen times. Michael Toglia led the swing-and-miss parade with four strikeouts, Ryan McMahon added three and Ezequiel Tovar had two of his own. Of course, some strikeouts are expected against Zach Wheeler, who is one of the best pitchers in the game. Wheeler recorded 10 strikeouts, while only giving up one run on three hits in seven innings.
The strikeouts where bad enough, but the timing of them made them hurt even worse. On a night when the Rockies had limited offensive production with four hits and two walks, four strikeouts came with a runner on base. The Rockies also recorded the third out by strikeout in seven of their nine innings.
Freeland solid again
Freeland surrendered his first runs of the season and had fewer strikeouts than in his season debut against the Rays, but Freeland pitched a great game. In 6 2⁄3 innings, Freeland gave up three runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
The trouble came in the fourth hit when Freeland was victim of lucky hits and sloppy defense by the Rockies. Alex Bohm led off with a single and Schwarber drove him in on a survival swing on a 2-2 sinker that he poked down the left field line. J.T. Realmuto followed with a 54-mph soft grounder down third baseline, which was picked up by catcher Hunter Goodman, who threw Realmuto out at first. Toglia threw to home where Freeland was trying to tag out Schwarber. Freeland barrel-rolled to escape getting spiked and seemed to hurt himself in a scary flashback to 2023 when Freeland dislocated his shoulder diving for a bunt. Luckily, he wasn’t injured, but the Phillies took a 2-0 lead.
More trouble followed in Edmundo Sosa led off with a single. A missed pick-off throw allowed Sosa to get to second and he then went to third when Johan Rojas bunted and no one covered first. Trea Turner then grounded to McMahon, who tried to tag Sosa and throw to first, but ended up not getting Sosa out and his throw pulled Toglia off first.
Suddenly, the bases were loaded with no outs, and that’s when Freeland got hot. Without a strikeout in the game yet, Freeland caught Bryce Harper looking on a 92-mph four-seamer, Bohm struck out on a foul tip on a sweeper and Schwarber also fell to the sweeper. Against one of the best middle lineups in baseball, Freeland got his only three strikeouts of the game and kept the Rockies in it.
Thank goodness for Goodman
Hunter Goodman is currently the best hitter on the team and he showed that on Wednesday. Goodman hit a homer off Wheeler in the seventh inning for the Rockies only run. He also doubled in the ninth, only to be stranded on second when Toglia struck out to end the game. Goodman currently has seven hits to lead the team and two of Colorado’s three homers on the season. Goodman is now hitting .368/.400/.842.
Mickey Moniak, who was drafted by the Phillies as the first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, got the start in left field against his old team and added one single. Kris Bryant recorded his first hit of the season, a broken-bat blooper in the fifth. Goodman moved him to second, but Toglia and Kyle Farmer each struck out in the inning, leaving Bryant there. Bryant is now 1-for-14 on the season, while Toglia is 1-for-19.
Up Next
The Rockies will look to avoid the sweep in their final game of the three-game series in Philadelphia on Thursday at 11:05 MT. Antonio Senzatela (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start for Rockies, while Taijuan Walker will be on the mound for the Phillies, making his season debut.