5 Runs Off a Position Player Pitcher and the Rockies Are Officially in Meltdown Mode

Holy smokes, you guys. If you thought baseball was just about dingers and strikeouts, you haven't been watching the Colorado Rockies lately. After getting absolutely run over on the road, losing five in a row, six of seven against Arizona and the Dodgers, and now eight of their last nine, the Rockies are heading home for a three-game series against the also scuffling San Francisco Giants. But before they even step on their home turf, we HAVE to talk about what just went down. This team is in a serious tailspin, and it hit rock bottom with a wild, wild loss to the Dodgers.

The Rockies' Nightmare Week Just Got Insane

I'm not gonna lie, what happened this week with the Rockies and Dodgers was bonkers. Los Angeles swept them, outscoring Colorado by a ridiculous 24-10 across three games. Wednesday night was a 4-1 loss where the Rockies only managed one hit. But Tuesday? That was something else. The Dodgers were up 15-1 in the eighth inning, and you know what they did to save their bullpen arms? They brought in an infielder, Miguel Rojas, to pitch the ninth! Can you even imagine being down so bad that the other team is putting position players on the mound? It’s brutal! But wait, it gets crazier. The Rockies actually scored FIVE runs off Rojas in that inning, including homers from catcher Brett Sullivan and third baseman Kyle Karros. And get this, Sullivan, who also tossed a scoreless eighth inning himself, joined Shohei Ohtani as the only players to hit home runs as pitchers this season. Insane, right? Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer summed it up perfectly, saying, "Listen, we never want to be in that situation where they are throwing a position player against us, especially when they're winning. We don't ever want to be down that much where that's the option." You know things are rough when that's the quote. The guy's used Sullivan three times as a pitcher this season, and he hasn't given up a run in those three innings. Wild.

Giants Are Struggling, But Webb's Back to Dominate Colorado

The Giants aren't exactly cruising either, losing three in a row and seven of their last nine. But they're getting a major boost with the expected return of outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who's been out with a mid-back strain. And more importantly, their ace, Logan Webb, is back on the mound. Webb's been out since May 5 with right knee bursitis, lasting only four innings in his last start against San Diego. He threw 62 pitches in a Triple-A rehab start on May 22 and could have returned Wednesday, but they gave him an extra two days of rest. Giants manager Tony Vitello said it was "mainly centered on his routine and what he needed to go through." And trust me, Rockies fans probably aren't excited about this. Webb has absolutely owned Colorado in his career, going 11-3 with a stellar 2.97 ERA in 19 games, 18 of them starts. Meanwhile, the Rockies are sending Michael Lorenzen to the mound, and he's not exactly a Giants killer. In 11 appearances, five starts, he's 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA against San Francisco. He's also lost five consecutive starts himself and carries a 2-7 record with a 7.21 ERA into this matchup. So, Friday night, it's Lorenzen (2-7, 7.21 ERA) versus Webb (2-4, 5.06 ERA) in the first meeting of the season between these National League West rivals. Both teams are scuffling, but one is clearly in a deeper hole. Can Lorenzen stop the bleeding for a team that literally just had a position player hitting homers off another position player pitching? Or will Webb continue his dominance against Colorado and pull the Giants out of their own slide? You know I'll be watching to see how this crazy season continues to unfold.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.