Rockies lose 7-5 lead in ninth, fall in extra innings to AL-leading Rays

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 114:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: After battling back from an early 5-1 deficit to take a 7-5 lead, recently-installed closer Jordan Romano endured his first blown save with the Rockies, enduring a two-hit, two-walk ninth that tied the score and set up the Tampa Bay Rays to steal a 9-7, 11-inning win in front of 23,071 at Coors Field on Tuesday night.

Romano entered the evening with five saves in as many chances since making his Colorado debut early last month, and had allowed just one earned run in that span. But after allowing a one-out walk to Tampa Bay shortstop Taylor Walls, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda tagged him for consecutive singles, the latter of which brought home Walls and Díaz to knot the game at 7-apiece.

Colorado had a prime opportunity in the 10th after reliever Jimmy Herget had his first scoreless appearance in his last seven trips to the mound, a span in which his season-long ERA ballooned from 3.60 to 7.06, effectively squelching any trade value he might have had in advance of Monday’s deadline. Herget came through with a flawless 10th inning after Jordan Romano’s blown save in the ninth.

“He’s been going through it the past couple of weeks,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “… That’s the Jimmy we know, and it was good to see that.”

But the Rockies couldn’t get Herget the win. The Rays gambled by pitching to Hunter Goodman with runners on second and third and one out in the 10th, and it paid off, as Garrett Cleavinger induced a pop fly to shallow right field tha wasn’t deep enough to score Jake McCarthy. TJ Rumfield subsequently lined out to left field, ending the threat.

Then Nick Frasso — acquired in the recent trade of Seth Halvorsen to the Los Angeles Dodgers — entered to make his major-league debut in the 11th inning, just hours after receiving his call-up from AAA Albuquerque. After Walls executed a sacrifice bunt to move automatic baserunner Ben Williamson to third base, Frasso’s wild pitch brought home Williamson with the winning run. Junior Caminero singled home Díaz — who’d reached base with a double — shortly thereafter for the final margin.

“Probably the most difficult position you can be in in your major-league debut,” Schaeffer said. “I tried to avoid it as long as I could, but I thought he handled it well … He stood up tall and threw strikes.”

Tampa Bay’s All-Star closer, Bryan Baker, retired Kyle Karros, Willi Castro and Troy Johnston in order in the bottom of the inning to clinch the series for the Rays.

The Rockies did most of their damage at the plate in the third and fourth innings. Mickey Moniak’s second homer in as many nights — a 3-run shot tied the game in the third inning; early that evening, Ezequiel Tovar had carried over his hot bat from Monday to Tuesday night with an RBI single; he finished the evening 2-for-4 with a double.

Contract extension 🤝 3-run homer pic.twitter.com/NEPOPiQKQt

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 5, 2026

Willi Castro’s 2-run homer in the fourth gave the Rox the lead, which they held until the ninth inning. The Rox fell to 45-69.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

One bad pitch in one frustrating inning was enough to saddle rookie starter Gabriel Hughes with a number that didn’t reflect his overall work in 5 1/3 innings of four-hit, two-walk ball. That pitch to Liam Hicks resulted in a grand slam that pushed the Rays’ lead to 5-1 in the third inning.

Hughes was perfect in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.

“Just one rough inning with a couple of walks mixed in there,” Schaeffer said. “Maybe not around the zone enough in that inning, but held it together, came back, showed poise, showed confidence.”

After surrendering the grand slam to Hicks, Hughes rallied and retired the next eight batters he faced before Hicks’ sixth-inning double ended Hughes’ night after 77 pitches.

“Impressive where he can make in-game adjustments after something goes bad,” Schaeffer said.

Hughes told media afterward that he didn’t think he made an adjustment after the grand slam, but suggested that he “got away from what was working” in the third inning and then went back to it in the subsequent innings. Hughes struck out four-consecutive batters at one point, and would have earned his first major-league win if not for the blown save.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Baker mowed down the Rox in order to close out the 11th inning.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 27.00 — ERA over the last six games for Herget prior to Tuesday night.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Rockies will try to avoid a sweep at the fins of the Rays and clinch a winning homestand. The task will be stern, as All-Star Nick Martinez starts for Tampa Bay; Tomoyuki Sugano goes for the Rox, looking to add to his 11-win tally for the season. First pitch for the getaway-day matinee is set for 1:10 p.m. MDT.

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