Rockies rally from 6-3 deficit as they overcome season-high four errors

Rockies Report, Game 61:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Hunter Goodman’s three-run homer capped a five-run eighth-inning explosion that brought the Rockies back from a 6-3 deficit for an 9-8 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on Monday night.

Goodman was the fifth-consecutive Rockies batter to reach base before Angels reliever José Fermin could record an out in that frame. Sterlin Thompson and Kyle Karros started the attack with a pair of doubles. Jake McCarthy walked, and Tyler Freeman singled, sending Goodman to the plate with two runs in and two runners on base.

The reigning NL Silver Slugger-winning catcher promptly punished Fermin’s hanging slider, launching it over the left-field wall to a chorus of boos from many of the 27,165 on hand.

HUNTER GOODMAN🤯 pic.twitter.com/sfo7v17vvD

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 2, 2026

But Jaden Hill walked two of the first three batters he faced in the bottom of the inning, both of whom scored after Jorge Soler pulled a triple to the right-field corner that caromed off the screen in front of the stands.

All that did was provide another opportunity for Karros and McCarthy, who recorded back-to-back base hits in the ninth inning, with Karros scoring from first on McCarthy’s double to right field. That capped McCarthy’s big night, which saw him go 2-for-4 with a walk and his fourth home run of the season.

Team effort 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eRiiQt5ear

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 2, 2026

Antonio Senzatela — who entered in the eighth inning after Soler’s triple and left him stranded by forcing a 4-6-3 double play after a walk to Mike Trout — worked the last 1 2/3 innings and was credited with his fifth win of the season; he’s 5-0 with three saves and a 1.30 ERA.

At the plate, the Rockies capitalized off the Angels’ wild ways on the mound. José Soriano walked seven Rockies and hit two others, and with three walks from the Angels bullpen, Colorado received 12 free passes in all. That helped the Rockies overcame four errors, the most they’ve had in one game since last June 13 at Atlanta.

“That was not a normal game,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

“They give 12 free passes. We kick the ball around a bunch tonight, throw it around sloppy. But somebody’s gotta win that game, and I thought the boys showed incredible resilience bouncing back multiple times.”

As reported by the Rockies’ broadcast, it was the Rockies’ first win when trailing by at least three runs entering the eighth inning in nearly 10 years, since they rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 win at Atlanta on July 16, 2016. That was so long ago that it took place at a venue that hasn’t hosted a major-league baseball game since the Obama Administration; it was at Turner Field, which the Braves left following that campaign. The venue still stands as the home of Georgia State University’s football program.

It was also the second late-innings comeback in the last four games. They trailed 3-1 entering the eighth inning last Friday against San Francisco, then faced a 6-3 deficit midway through the ninth inning, but rode home runs from Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar for an 8-6 walk-off win.
Colorado improved to 23-39 and pulled back within a half-game of escaping the division and league cellar after the Giants went to Milwaukee and absorbed a 16-2 evisceration at the hands of the Brewers on Monday night.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

It wasn’t exactly the bounce-back night Freeland wanted, although the damage was exacerbated by some soft ground balls that got through. That helped ensure that his continued bugaboo — the long ball — was particularly damaging, as Jose Siri’s third-inning homer was a two-out, bases-loaded blast.

“The defense kind of led up to [the grand slam] in my opinion,” Schaeffer said. “Willi (Castro) kind of overran the pop-up there for [a hit]; ‘Tovi’ (Ezequiel Tovar) usually makes that play.”

A fifth-inning run scored after a Freeland throwing error, putting it into the books as unearned.

Freeland left with five earned runs allowed over 5 2/3 innings, with seven hits and a walk to his name. His ERA dropped slightly — from 8.08 to 8.06. But he has now allowed 12 home runs in seven starts since returning from the injured list, with a HR/9 rate of 3.31 in that span — including 4.30 away from Coors Field.

Still, he rallied from the grand slam and ended up pitching into the sixth inning.

“I thought ‘Free’ threw the ball well. He maintained his velocity all day. He was putting the ball where he wanted. Change-up was really working,” Schaeffer said.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: A replay challenge upheld the 6-3 double play for the 26th and 27th outs, preserving the win.

NUMBER TO NOTE: .364 — Karros’ batting average since May 24 at Arizona after his 2-for-4 night Monday. Heading into that game he was squarely at the Mendoza Line.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Rockies’ most reliable-starter in recent rotation turns, Tomoyuki Sugano, gets the call. Grayson Rodriguez starts for the Angels; after allowing seven earned runs in his first 2026 start and four in his second; he allowed just one will allowing two hits and two walks over five innings last week at Detroit. First pitch is at 7:38 p.m. MDT.

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