Rockies’ skid ends thanks to Carrigg’s two homers — including one capping a 13-pitch duel

Rockies Report, Game 151:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: The weight of 20 losses in 24 games and an eight-game losing streak seemed to have the Rockies buckling and collapsing down the stretch. And while they had nudged in front 4-3 with a pair of sixth-inning runs, Tuesday’s game against the San Diego Padres remained very much in the balance with two on and two out in the sixth.

Then, Cole Carrigg stepped into the batter’s box against San Diego reliever Randy Vásquez. Carrigg fouled off pitch after pitch — 10 in all.
Finally, on pitch 13, Vásquez left a fastball at the top of the strike zone. It didn’t hit the ground until it reached the second deck of the right-field stands.

A 4-3 lead was now 7-3. Carrigg flung his bat in exultation, the frustration of several weeks as the Rockies approach 100 losses seeming to leave as he celebrated.

“That’s one of the coolest at-bats I’ve seen … especially this year. I think that was the at-bat of the year,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.

NO WORDS pic.twitter.com/Nsdu0tJtNL

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 16, 2026

The Rockies cruised from there for a 9-3 win. Carrigg had his finest night as a major-league, having already hit a solo homer prior to his sixth-inning shot. He finished with four hits, including a double, placing him only a single shy of the cycle. He also has three homers in the last two games since the Rockies came home following their 0-6 road trip through New York and Detroit.

“This is the player he can be, and he’s playing very, very well,” Schaeffer said. “So let’s not mess with with it.”

Colorado improved to 56-95 and now needs a 7-4 finish to avoid 100 defeats.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

With an expiring contract, the thought that Kyle Freeland may have fired his final pitch as a member of the Rockies was more than a barely-tangible possibility. But he started Tuesday night after returning from the injured-list, and fired 50 pitches, leaving after allowing a leadoff homer to Austin Hays one pitch into the fifth.

“I thought he got better as he went and adjusted to their plan,” Schaeffer said.

Freeland allowed eight hits — including three solo homers that represented the sum total of San Diego’s offense.

Ryan Feltner relieved Freeland and threw five scoreless innings to earn his sixth win of the season. This was Feltner’s second relief appearance of the season; he threw four-plus innings without allowing an earned run at Atlanta on Aug. 30 after entering in place of Mason Adams, although he did surrender an unearned run in the 10th inning of that 3-2 loss.

Schaeffer described Feltner as being in “attack mode,” adding that’s what he saw from him in that earlier appearance in Atlanta. When asked whether a possible future plan for Feltner involves pairing him with a starter, Schaeffer replied, “Maybe.”

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Troy Johnston delivered an RBI double in the seventh inning to score Kyle Karros and increase the Rockies’ lead to 8-3.

NUMBER TO NOTE: .957 — Carrigg’s September OPS.

WHAT’S NEXT: Adams looks for his first major-league win in Game 3 of the series. Robbie Ray starts for San Diego. First pitch is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. MDT.

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