Rockies club a pair of ninth-inning homers, rally to earn second consecutive win

WASHINGTON — Rockies Report, Game 72:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Ninth-inning home runs from Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak off Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan overturned a 4-3 deficit, powering the Rockies to a 6-4 win at a damp Nationals Park on Monday night.

Good as gone!

👉 https://t.co/WDjLr0wQOV pic.twitter.com/UYY3lW63jx

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 17, 2025

Goodman’s shot — his 13th of the season — was his second of the night and tied the game. His first, a 393-foot blast that landed in the visiting bullpen, put the Rox in front 2-0 in the first.

“He’s been our best hitter — bar none,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said.

Moniak’s home run — his 8th in 2025 — put the Nats out for the night. With Sam Hilliard in scoring position after pinch-running for Thairo Estrada and stealing second base, Moniak drove Finnegan’s 1-2 inside fastball to right field and into the Nationals’ bullpen, dismaying most of the crowd announced at 11,370 — the lowest home attendance for Washington so far this season.

“Mickey’s been having good at-bats for a couple of weeks now,” Schaeffer said. “A calm at-bat in a big spot.”

With Zach Agnos optioned to Albuquerque after struggling in the last fortnight, Seth Halvorsen closed and logged the save, his fourth of the year.

Halvorsen allowed a leadoff walk, then got Nationals rookie Brady House — making his major-league debut — to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. A groundout one pitch later ended it.

A few hardy Rox fans on hand worked up a “Let’s go Rockies!” chant as Colorado took the ninth-inning. Some dismayed Nats fans who remained booed their team off the field after the final out, as Washington lost its ninth in a row and fell to 2-12 this month.

Meanwhile, Colorado is a respectable 6-8 this month. Yes, that’s still below .500, but when you compare that with its marks of 4-22 in April and 4-24 in May, that is tangible, palpable progress.

It was also the Rockies’ third win in their last five games — with two of those of the comeback variety. Colorado rallied from a five-run deficit for a walk-off win over the San Francisco Giants last Thursday.

Colorado improved to 15-57.

MICKEY MONIAK!!! pic.twitter.com/zRgTqEkZkQ

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 17, 2025

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Rookie left-hander Carson Palmquist sailed through the first three innings, facing one batter above the minimum and allowing only one Nationals batter — James Wood — to reach base via a first-inning double that proved harmless.

It took Palmquist just 40 pitches to get through those initial three innings.

But he needed 39 pitches to labor through the fourth inning, which saw him issue three walks without allowing a hit. He escaped allowing just one run, which scored via an Amed Rosario sacrifice fly, leaving two runners stranded after he got Riley Adams to pop up to center field.

Schaeffer gave Palmquist a chance to make it through the fifth inning, but unlike in the fourth, trouble came in short order. Three pitches into the fifth, Daylen Lile turned on a high, inside fastball to pull Washington back within 3-2.

“Giving him a chance to get through five innings for our bullpen, giving him a chance to get the win with a 3-1 lead right there, get him through five and then go to the ‘pen,” Schaeffer said.

Alex Call singled two batters later, and James Wood powered the Nats in front, mashing a cutter 373 feet over the left-field fence for a two-run, opposite-field homer that gave Washington the 4-3 lead it held until the ninth inning.

“He missed some spots for a couple of homers to lefties,” Schaeffer said. “But, overall, pretty good.”

Palmquist was eventually bailed out by the offensive outburst in the top of the ninth, allowing him to leave with a no-decision after taking losses in his first four major-league starts.

The bullpen also delivered 4 1/3 innings of spotless relief, with Juan Mejia, Jimmy Herget, Victor Vodnik and Halvorsen handling the work.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Michael Toglia tossed the ball to Halvorsen for the final out at first base.

NUMBER TO NOTE: .846 — Goodman’s OPS, which ranks second among National League catchers this season.

WHAT’S NEXT: Antonio Senzatela looks for his second win of the season as the Rockies look for their second three-game winning streak of the year. Michael Soroka will go for the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. MDT, weather permitting.

Related

Rockies lose 7-5 lead in ninth, fall in extra innings to AL-leading RaysRockies already call up arm acquired in pre-deadline dealRockies pound out 15 hits, but it’s far from enough against relentless RaysRockies giving Mickey Moniak new two-year contract: ReportRockies buy low on former top prospect, flip relieverRockies trade longest-tenured player on deadline day