DENVER -- Thursday was the new day that Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon needed, mainly to wash away the previous night¡¯s 15-run loss to the Brewers.
¡°We¡¯ve got to get going, got to play better baseball,¡± McMahon said. ¡°Last night was a little embarrassing ¨C all three phases of the game, pitching, defense, offense.¡±
That much was known.
And Thursday, with Brenton Doyle homering to lead off the first inning and driving in five runs, the Rockies accounted for themselves better by finishing the first homestand of 2025 with a 7-2 victory over the Brewers, only giving up four hits.
Was Thursday an indication that McMahon and other leaders are handling the 3-9 start in a productive manner?
¡°In the clubhouse as game time was approaching and even in the dugout, I felt as though we weren¡¯t going to lose this game,¡± Rockies manager Bud Black said. ¡°Now, we might have gotten beat but we weren¡¯t going to lose it.¡±
Wednesday didn¡¯t end and Thursday didn¡¯t begin with some fire-eating pep talk from Black. McMahon admitted to giving a short speech to address the unacceptable performance on Wednesday, but it didn¡¯t reach the level of a dreaded, desperate players-only meeting.
¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re there yet,¡± said McMahon, whose double ignited the eighth-inning rally that Doyle capped with a three-run double. ¡°It¡¯s still early. A lot of guys are still trying to find their groove. And once we do, we need to keep going.¡±
Thursday was a day in the sunshine to end a dark homestand. After opening the Coors Field schedule by going 2-4, the Rockies will travel to face the Padres and Dodgers, who began Thursday a combined 20-7.
¡°This was a big momentum shift for us,¡± said Doyle, whose .302/.339/.528 slash line makes him one of the Rockies¡¯ few consistent performers. ¡°We want to build on it.¡±
The starting pitcher has been good more often than not. On Thursday, Ryan Feltner ignored flu-like symptoms, struck out seven and held the Brewers to one run on three hits and two walks. Feltner opened the fourth by yielding consecutive doubles, followed by consecutive walks. He threw 10 straight balls at one point, but he got Joey Ortiz to line straight at McMahon, then fanned Oliver Dunn and Eric Haase.
¡°I proved a lot to myself in that moment,¡± Feltner said. ¡°There were moments in the past where maybe I wouldn¡¯t have gotten through. I¡¯d like to continue to get through those more times than not.¡±
There have been more games with dazzling defense than four-error efforts like Wednesday¡¯s 17-2 defeat. The offense has been largely unproductive.
The root problem is the many Rockies trying to establish themselves descend into well-meaning but counterproductive effort levels.
¡°Whether it¡¯s young guys or veterans, guys came out of camp feeling they¡¯ve got to do more to produce for this team, show who they really are, when in reality all it takes is just being yourself,¡± veteran pitcher Kyle Freeland said. ¡°Be the best version of yourself every single day, pull for your teammates and work toward a single goal of winning a baseball game.¡±
One player in such a rut was Michael Toglia, who knocked 25 homers last year but entered Thursday batting .140. He found success Thursday ¨C 3-for-4 with his first RBI of the season, an eighth-inning double with two on that was nearly his first homer.
¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯ve gone, what, 10 games without an RBI?¡± Toglia said. ¡°I thought I was going to have three there.¡±
The five-run eighth ¨C which included Toglia¡¯s double, Doyle¡¯s game-breaking double and Zac Veen¡¯s double for his first career RBI ¨C saw the Rockies deliver relaxed at-bats, which had been missing.
¡°I¡¯ve been trying to do a little too much at the plate, especially when I know we need that big hit, and I think a lot of guys are similar,¡± veteran catcher Jacob Stallings said. ¡°As weird as it sounds, it¡¯s trying a little less instead of trying to do it all by themselves.
¡°I¡¯m 35 years old and I¡¯m still doing it. Everybody wants to do it for the guy next to them. It¡¯s letting it happen and not trying to force it.¡±
That includes inspirational speeches. McMahon¡¯s after Wednesday loss was just the right amount of verbiage and force, judging by Thursday¡¯s performance.
¡°The boys responded,¡± he said.