Rockies take series from Diamondbacks as Zac Veen homers in first MLB game of 2026

Rockies Report, Game 121:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Welcome back, Zac Veen.

In his first major-league game of the season, Veen showed the same power he’s displayed at AAA Albuquerque, blasting a Merrill Kelly changeup into the swimming-pool area beyond the right-center-field wall at Chase Field for a two-run homer that helped push the Rockies to a 6-4 win that sealed their first series win in Arizona in over four years, since July 7-10, 2022.

VEEN
VEEN
VEEN pic.twitter.com/c6QImwmbeW

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 12, 2026

Called up on Tuesday, Veen didn’t play on Tuesday night, but delivered in his first major-league appearance since April 22, 2022. The homer was his second as a major-leaguer, and his first at the top tier since April 20, 2025 against Washington.

Veen had a .327/.432/.635 line over 445 plate appearances in 100 games for the Isotopes, reaching the point where he’d proven all that he could at that level. His homer came two innings after catcher Brett Sullivan clobbered a three-run homer to put the Rox in front 4-1. Colorado’s other run came earlier in the second inning, when Willi Castro’s RBI single scored Hunter Goodman, who had reached on a leadoff walk.

But after going in front 6-1, the Rox went scoreless from there as Arizona gradually slithered back into the game. Walks played a big part; Colorado receivers walked seven Arizona batters in four innings of work — two each by Parker Mushinski, Juan Mejia and Jimmy Herget and one from closer Jordan Romano.

But they were able to limit the Arizona damage to one run in each of the seventh and eighth innings, with the latter run coming on a solo Corbin Carroll homer to pull Arizona within 6-4. Two more singles at the expense of Brennan Bernardino followed, but he retired Arenado with two on and two out to end the threat.

Colorado improved to 48-73, including a 3-3 mark on its current road trip.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Ryan Feltner found himself in a pickle twice — first when he gave up three-consecutive hits in the first inning, and again in the fifth. In the first, he managed to escape with just one run on the board after getting Lars Nootbaar to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.

Then in the fifth inning, after allowing a run on a Gabriel Moreno double, Feltner issued his second and third walks of the game. But as was the case in the first inning, a groundout got Feltner out of the jam, this one by Nolan Arenado, whose grand slam Monday started Arizona en route to a 9-0 win.

The Rockies bullpen gave up three hits and the afore-mentioned seven walks, but stranded 15 Arizona baserunners to hold on for the win.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Romano got Gerardo Peromo to line out for the 27th out with Ryan Waldschmidt on second base. It was Romano’s ninth save in 10 chances since joining the Rockies.

NUMBER TO NOTE: .993 — OPS allowed to opposing batters at Coors Field by Dollander this year. For the sake of comparison, Shohei Ohtani’s career OPS is .951, so for Dollander, the output is like facing a batter slightly more prolific than Ohtani all the time.

WHAT’S NEXT: A day off before capping the three-city road trip with a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants. Kyle Freeland will get the ball for Colorado; Landen Roupp will start for the Giants. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m. MDT.

Related

Former Rockies top prospect given another shot, breakout youngster hits ILKarros goes into concussion protocol, but not before his 2-run homer powers Rockies to winRockies call up former top prospect and first-rounder, who is tearing up Triple-ABiggest question with Walton-Penner’s Rockies ownership remainsRockies blasted in Arizona as old friend Arenado launches first-inning grand slamRockies get thunder from Hunter Goodman, but it’s not enough to avoid a series loss