Rockies lose in 11th inning; Schaeffer takes accountability for costly decision

Rockies Report, Game 75:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Washington Nationals slugger James Wood walked off the Rockies with his second two-run home run of the afternoon, snapping his team’s 11-game losing streak and Colorado’s season-long four-game winning streak in one fell swoop to deal the Rox a 4-3 getaway-day setback at Nationals Park on Thursday afternoon.

WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT pic.twitter.com/mJmYlHpSta

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 19, 2025

Wood, the struggling Nationals’ only reliable power threat, hit his 19th and 20th home runs of the season Thursday at Colorado’s expense. Thus, the decision to have current closer Seth Halvorsen pitch to Wood was questioned, with first and second base open, two out and Colorado clinging to a one-run lead as it looked for its second sweep of the season.

To his credit, interim manager Warren Schaeffer shouldered the blame.

“That’s on me,” he said to reporters after the loss. “I think I can look myself in the mirror better if we’re losing to [Luis García Jr.]. “

García, whose OPS of .725 is 119 points below that of Wood, has six home runs this season, not even one-third of Wood’s tally.

“It’s not like I don’t trust Seth to get him,” Schaeffer said, “but I probably should have put him on.”

Wood’s 11th-inning heroics wiped out a gritty performance from the Rockies, who immediately answered Wood’s first shot with a pair of fifth-inning runs, provided by Jordan Beck and Mickey Moniak, who delivered a two-out double and single, respectively, to knot the score.

Colorado’s bullpen delivered four shutout innings, including a scoreless 10th. Finally, in the 11th, Michael Toglia continued his sizzling work in his return to the big club by driving in Ryan McMahon with a leadoff single, nudging Colorado in front.

That set up Halvorsen in a save situation. But unfortunately for the Rox, his 1-0 splitter settled in the heart of the strike zone, and where Wood sent it, it wasn’t coming back.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Chase Dollander allowed a home run for a third consecutive start and eighth time in his 12 major-league starts, but Wood’s two-run blast in the fourth inning represented the sum total of Washington’s offense at Dollander’s expense as he turned in his second consecutive quality start and third in his last six trips to the mound.

Dollander was on point throughout the afternoon. For the first time as a major-league starter, he didn’t walk a single batter. He faced the minimum in three innings, aided by a defense that contributed a pair of double plays.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Wood mashed Halvorsen’s 90-MPH splitter into the batter’s eye as Sam Hilliard could only look up helplessly.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 6 — RBI for Toglia in four games since returning to the major-league roster after a two-week stint with AAA Albuquerque. His 11th-inning RBI single put Colorado in front, 3-2.

The six RBI since Monday are one more than he had in his final 20 games before being optioned to the Isotopes earlier this month.

WHAT’S NEXT: Colorado returns to Coors Field to begin a six-game homestand against NL West foes. First up is a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Austin Gomber will look to build off of his dominant five innings of work last Sunday in Atlanta. Arizona counters with Zac Gallen. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. MDT.

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