Denver – This weekend, the Yankees faced a challenging situation at Coors Field.
If they come out on top, it’s expected. But if they falter, well, it would be seen as a major setback against the struggling Rockies.
On Friday, the latter proved true as the Yankees lost 3-2 to the Rockies in front of a lively sold-out crowd of 47,211. Thankfully for the Yankees, the sky didn’t collapse over their heads—perhaps that was more reserved for the Knicks back in New York.
Entering the game, the Yankees had a record of 30-20 and were riding a four-game winning streak, having won 11 out of their last 14. Meanwhile, the Rockies were sitting at 9-42 and had just snapped a five-game losing streak, having dropped 17 of their last 19 games.
And, I mean, it’s baseball, right?
“For us who have been doing this game for a long time, it’s baseball,” manager Aaron Boone remarked prior to the game. “Everything can happen on a particular night.”
Aaron Judge played his first game at Coors Field, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead with his 17th home run of the season in a 4-for-4 performance.
However, the Rockies quickly turned the tide in the bottom of that inning after Clark Schmidt recorded two quick outs.
Ezekiel Tval and Hunter Goodman extended the inning with back-to-back singles, knocking Schmidt out after 97 pitches. Boone then called upon left-handed pitcher Tim Hill to face lefty Ryan McMahon.
McMahon capitalized, hitting a two-run double that struck the top of the center field wall, moving the Rockies ahead 3-2. It was a disappointing turn, especially since other left-handed batters struggled against Hill throughout the season.
Prior to this matchup, McMahon had been among lefties who handled the ball well, so this hit was somewhat unexpected.
The Yankees managed to face the Rockies’ bullpen after Tanner Gordon threw six innings, allowing just two runs. The trio of Jake Bird, Seth Halvulson, and Zac Agnos then each delivered scoreless frames, solidifying the win for the Rockies.
