Hunter Goodman Blasted His 21st Bomb, But One Colorado Rookie Is About to Blow Up
Holy smokes, did you guys see what went down with the Rockies? Hunter Goodman just crushed his team-leading 21st home run, a shot that usually would be the talk of the league. But nope, that wasn't even the biggest story from their 8-6 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday night! Rookie Sterlin Thompson decided to announce his arrival to the big leagues by mashing not one, but TWO home runs, the first two of his career! Talk about a statement!
Colorado's Offense Ignites, Pitching Falters
The Rockies' bats are absolutely RED HOT, scoring four or more runs in their last six games. Remember that bonkers 23-9 win over the Athletics in Las Vegas? Franchise record, man! They dropped two of three against the Cubs, but still hammered out 15 runs. Thompson's heroics, hitting his first two career homers in the same game, put him in rare air. MLB.com says he’s only the sixth Rockies player ever to do that. Thompson himself called it "a great moment for sure, a cool spot to get the first one and then go to the next at-bat and hit the second one." You love seeing a young guy make that kind of impact!
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But here’s the kicker: their starting pitching for the series opener is a mess. Kyle Freeland, a lefty, has had a brutal couple of months. He hasn't won since April 7, when his ERA was 2.30. Since then, he's 0-4 in May with a staggering 12.46 ERA over five starts, and 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA through three June outings. He’s given up five or more earned runs in six of his last eight starts. That’s a nightmare on the mound, especially considering his 3-5 record and 5.15 ERA in ten career outings against the Pirates. The bats are blazing, but the pitching staff needs to catch up for real momentum this season.
Pirates' Bats Find Their Groove
The Pirates are rolling into Denver for this three-game series after a rough start to June. They dropped nine of 13 games, but just took two straight from the Athletics to win that series. Their offense, quiet with just 16 runs over five games, suddenly exploded for 18 runs and double-digit hits in their last two! Ryan O'Hearn, who racked up a career-high six RBIs in their 12-4 win, nailed it: "That's a key for us, quality at-bats and production up and down the lineup. Any stretch that we've had that's been really good this season, the common denominator has been the offense has been kind of relentless up and down the lineup." Marcell Ozuna even launched his first homer since May 15, and all nine starters got a hit. Full-team effort, exactly what they need!
They’re sending right-hander Bubba Chandler (2-7, 4.76 ERA) to the mound. He actually made his MLB debut against Colorado last August, tossing four scoreless innings for his only career save in a 9-0 Pirates win. He’s started 13 of 14 games this season, but hasn't gotten past the sixth inning yet. Pitching in Denver is always a challenge. His team's offense needs to keep that pressure on to give him a shot at a win.
This series is gonna be a slugfest. Both teams have offenses feeling it, but with Chandler and Freeland on the mound, expect fireworks. Can the Pirates keep their road trip hot, or will the Rockies' power surge at home be too much? These three games could really set the tone for both teams as we push deeper into the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.