Rockies snap eight-game losing streak; Senzatela gets first win in nearly three years

Rockies Report, Game 21:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Maybe they should wear the City Connect uniforms for every home game?

Or perhaps it was something else, as the Rox seem to have figured out one specific type of game: the home series finale.

For the third time in as many opportunities, Colorado won a home series-ending game, salvaging a single triumph from the quick three-game homestand against the Washington Nationals with a 3-1 win in front of an announced 18,703 at Coors Field on Sunday night.

This makes Colorado 3-0 in home series finales and 1-17 in all other games this season. It snapped an eight-game losing streak.

The win allowed Colorado to earn a split of the day-night doubleheader, necessitated by the snow-caused postponement of Friday night’s game.

Significantly, though, it was Antonio Senzatela’s first win since June 2022, just before a series of woes that included a torn ACL and Tommy John surgery.

Supporting Senzatela was Mickey Moniak. Hitting leadoff, Moniak did most of the work with a fourth-inning triple to the left-center field wall, scoring Jacob Stallings and Aaron Schunk to put Colorado up 2-1.

Four innings later, small ball got the job done in the eighth inning to double Colorado’s advantage.

After Jordan Beck reached base on a single and Jacob Stallings was hit by a pitch — and then pinch-run for by Braxton Fulford — Adael Amador sacrificed them over to second and third with a bunt. Nick Martini then drove Beck home with a grounder to second; Beck easily beat Luis García Jr.’s throw home.

Tyler Kinley concluded three innings of shutout work from the bullpen for his first save of the season.

STARTER’S REPORT: In need of a start in which he could work economically and avoid heavy basepath traffic, Senzatela found it, earning the win that was 34 months in coming.

Just seven Nationals reached base over six innings against Senzatela, who struck out two and walked just one in an 83-pitch appearance that culminated a long, arduous road back from a mountain of woe.

Three of the Nationals’ baserunners came in the first inning; after that, Senzatela was rarely threatened.

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Kinley got Nasim Nuñez to chase a low slider for strike three with Dylan Crews on second base, ending Washington’s threat in the top of the ninth inning.


ROCKIES NUMBER TO NOTE: 3 — Triples for Moniak this season, which leads Major League Baseball.

ROCKIES UNIFORM: City Connect uniform, which was worn for the first time.

WHAT’S NEXT: A three-game series at Kansas City, starting Tuesday night. Ryan Feltner is scheduled to start the opener, with a first-pitch time scheduled for 5:40 p.m. MDT.

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