Rockies fall to 6-29, as big nights from McMahon, Toglia and bullpen aren’t enough

Rockies Report, Game 35:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: The Rockies pounded out more hits than they’d had in a month, but a rough start from Chase Dollander and a two-out tenth-inning pop fly to no-man’s land were their undoing as they dropped their fourth consecutive game, 8-6 to Detroit on Wednesday night.

Rookie reliever Zach Agnos took the loss, but he was hardly deserving as both of Detroit’s 10th-inning runs were unearned.

That came in painful fashion — a 10th-inning, two-out Texas Leaguer to shallow left field that skipped off of Jordan Beck’s glove as he and two teammates converged.

Beck was charged with the error, which scored Spencer Torkelson from second base. Torkelson had led off the inning with a double to score “Manfred Man” Riley Greene; being placed on second base to start the extra inning, that run was also unearned.

Colorado could not convert its “Manfred Man” into a run, and its 10th inning was fruitless. Mickey Moniak drew a leadoff walk, but fill-in shortstop Alan Trejo subsequently hit into a 5-3 double play. Four pitches later, Adael Amador flew out to right field, ending the night.

The bottom of Detroit’s order hammered the Rockies. Shortstop Trey Sweeney and center fielder Javier Báez — hitting in the eighth and ninth spots in the lineup — went 6-for-11 with a walk, two doubles and five RBI.

Squandered was strong bullpen work, which went 6 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run, holding Detroit to five hits and two walks in that span. Jake Bird, Scott Alexander, Seth Halvorsen — who danced out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning — and Agnos held down the fort.

Also notable were outstanding performances from first baseman Michael Toglia and third baseman Ryan McMahon.

Toglia had three hits, McMahon had four; both had home runs and two doubles. Toglia nudged his batting average above the Mendoza Line, to .215; McMahon isn’t there yet, as he sits at .193 after going 7-for-11 in the past three games.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Chase Dollander had a full week between starts, and unfortunately for the rookie, he was unable to sustain momentum from his strongest outing to date.

The result was an appearance that was the shortest of Dollander’s brief major-league career in both innings and pitch count.

He started well Wednesday, mowing down the first six Tigers he faced, but allowed the first four Detroit batters he saw in the third inning to reach base via a walk, a double and a pair of of singles, scoring two runs. A subsequent Gleyber Torres sacrifice fly brought in the game-tying run to knot the game at 3-apiece.

Put back in front 5-3 via Toglia’s two-run shot in the bottom of the third, control problems felled Dollander in the fourth inning. Dollander loaded the bases via two walks and a hit batter, then surrendered a game-tying two-run single to Báez, ending his night.

Bird relieved Dollander and yielded a two-out RBI single to Colt Keith, leaving Dollander on the hook for six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Dollander’s 70-pitch evening saw him yield five hits and three walks.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Amador flew out to right field for the final out of the 10th inning.

ROCKIES NUMBER TO NOTE: 1.93 — Bird’s ERA so far this season, even after he allowed a grand slam — with three earned runs to his name — against the Giants last Saturday.

WHAT’S NEXT: A doubleheader with the Tigers after Tuesday’s weather postponement. Kyle Freeland is scheduled to start the opener, which has a first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. MDT. Tanner Gordon will be activated and make his 2025 major-league debut in the second game of the twin bill; in six starts at AAA Albuquerque so far this season, he has a 1.50 WHIP and a 4.82 ERA.

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