Rockies’ skid reaches five games as 1-0 lead evaporates in middle innings

Rockies Report, Game 147:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: A chance for a big inning in the fifth petered out with just one run crossing the plate, and when the Tigers erupted in the sixth inning, that lost opportunity proved fatal in what would end up being a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday night.

The Rockies opened the fifth inning with a pair of singles from Troy Johnston and Jordan Beck. But both would eventually be thrown out at home plate, First, Johnston was wiped out trying to score from third with runners on the corners on a fielder’s choice.

Two pitches later — with Beck on second and Ezequiel Tovar on first — Jake McCarthy singled to right field. Beck rounded third and sprinted for home, but was gunned down by Detroit right fielder Zach McKinstry. Dillon Dingler applied the tag for the inning’s second out.

Carrigg gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/us3OvW5xus

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 11, 2026

The Rockies finally scored a single run after Kevin McGonigle’s two-out error on a Cole Carrigg ground ball to the left side of the infield brought home Tovar from third base. But in the bottom of the inning, Detroit quickly responded when Max Clark took Mason Adams deep for a game-tying home run.

But it wasn’t until the sixth inning — after Adams handed the baton to the bullpen — when the Tigers exploded. Mark Manfredi sandwiched a walk to Gleyber Torres by retiring McGonigle and Spencer Torkelson, then gave up a triple that bounced off the center-field wall, scoring Torres.

Nick Frasso replaced Manfredi to face Dingler, and saw his first pitch land in the left-field seats, pushing the Tigers’ lead to 4-1. Frasso struggled with his control from there, plunking Clark with a 2-2 count. Clark stole second, then came home after two Frasso wild pitches.

The Tigers tacked on one more run in the eighth inning.

Zac Veen brought home a second run with two outs in the ninth inning, getting soft contact that resulted in a dribbler that bounced down the third-base line about 20 feet into the infield, scoring Adael Amador from third base.

A subsequent McCarthy single forced Detroit manager Aaron Boone to summon Kenley Jansen to face Connor Norby with two runners on base. Jansen struck out Norby to end proceedings.

Colorado fell to 55-92 and must have a winning record over its final 15 games to avoid becoming the first club with four-consecutive 100-loss seasons since the expansion New York Mets in their first four campaigns (1962-65).

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Over five innings, rookie starter Adams was effective, allowing two hits and a single earned run. He did surrender three walks — including two in his final inning of work — but none ended up coming home to score.

The only run Adams surrendered was to Clark, who drove an inside fastball 355 feet over the right-field wall to knot the game at 1-apiece in the fifth inning. Two walks followed before Adams escaped further damage by inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Javier Báez.

The next step for Adams will be going deeper into games; he hasn’t made it out of the fifth inning in each of his four major-league starts to date. Warren Schaeffer has opted to keep Adams’ pitch count in the 70s; he threw 77 pitches Friday night and has finished his starts between 74 and 78 pitches.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Greene tacked on a sixth Tigers run with an eighth-inning RBI double off Blas Castaño.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 8 — Number of series-opening games lost by the Rox. That’s also the length of their current road losing streak.

WHAT’S NEXT: Tanner Gordon will start the second game of the series Saturday. Detroit’s pitcher is officially to be determined. The first pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. MDT.

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