Rockies get solid start from Dollander in MLB return, but losing streak hits 8

Rockies Report, Game 118:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Chase Dollander returned from a minor-league stint to hold the St. Louis Cardinals to one run over five innings. That was the good news for the Rox as they began a three-game set at Busch Stadium Monday night.

But the bad news was that the Rockies couldn’t muster a hit off St. Louis soft-tossing starter Miles Mikolas through 5 1/3 innings. When they finally broke through nudged to a 2-1 lead, they couldn’t hold onto it, as Juan Mejia surrendered an eighth-inning, 2-RBI double to Brendan Donovan that gave the Cardinals a 3-2 win that extended Colorado’s losing streak to eight games.

This is their fifth eight-game losing streak of the season, matching the skids from April 11-20, April 22-29, May 2-10 and May 24-June 1.

The Rockies have had more losing streaks of at least eight games this season alone as they had in the previous seven seasons combined, when they had three such skids.

Unlike most of the losses during this ongoing skein, the pitching mostly held up as Dollander navigated out of most of the trouble he faced during his first major-league start since July 6. Nick Anderson escaped a two-on, one-out situation int he sixth when Warming Bernabel threw out Thomas Saggese at home for the second out and Jordan Walker ground out to shortstop to end the frame, and Jimmy Herget worked a clean seventh inning.

Meanwhile, Colorado nudged in front in the seventh after Jordan Beck bunted his way onto first to lead off the inning, then advanced to second when Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman threw wide, one of two Redbirds errors in the game. Mickey Moniak singled to move Beck to third, setting up Bernabel to drive Beck home with a groundout.

Brenton Doyle subsequently dropped a two-out line drive in front of Victor Scott II in center field, scoring Moniak to give the Rox a 2-1 lead.

Doyle Rules and the Rockies lead 🤟 pic.twitter.com/qkkVtyxxrK

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 12, 2025

But it came apart in the eighth inning as Mejia, one of the Rockies’ more reliable bullpen components this season, took his first loss of the season.

The Rockies fell to 30-88.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

If this start was any indication, the stint in Albuquerque did some good for Dollander, the Rockies’ 2023 first-round pick. He made it to five innings, requiring 92 pitches, kept the ball in the park and allowed just one run in spite of allowing baserunners in every inning.

In Dollander’s previous two starts before being optioned to AAA, he failed to get out of the fourth inning. A pair of 23-pitch innings — the third and fourth frames — ensured that Dollander wouldn’t make it past the fifth.

Dollander issued three walks; he’s had at least three walks in seven of his last 12 Rockies starts after having no more than two walks in his first four major-league appearances. But he had his highest strikeout total since May 18 — five, with the final one coming via a curveball that froze Iván Herrera in the fifth inning.

All in all, it was a promising return to the rotation for the rookie pitcher in whom the Rox have so much hope invested.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Karros popped out to Yohel Pozo with Bernabel on first base to end the game.

NUMBER TO NOTE: .321 — Beck’s batting average so far in August; he went 1-for-3 with a walk Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT: Kyle Freeland looks to improve upon his 2-12 record this season in a stadium where he’s started just twice, with an 0-1 mark and a 4.76 ERA. Matthew Liberatore starts for the Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. MDT.

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