The Colorado Rockies have finally put a halt to their unfortunate, history-making sequence of 22 consecutive series losses in Major League Baseball (MLB), a run that has been ongoing since the previous season. This dubious streak was interrupted thanks to a tense 3-2 triumph over Miami, a game that was made memorable by Hunter Goodman’s third home run in the span of two matches. This victory, combined with the one prior, guarantees the Rockies a series win against the Marlins — their first series victory since they won two out of three games against Arizona in Denver back in mid-September.
The Rockies’ interim manager, Warren Schaeffer, expressed his elation over this significant milestone. ‘Getting that first series win is indeed a big deal for the team,’ he remarked. Despite the late emergence of such a victory, which did not happen until June, Schaeffer expressed his happiness for the players and stressed the importance of seizing the present moment.
The Rockies, currently sitting at the bottom of the league with an 11-50 record, have been successful in winning two games in a row for just the second time in this year. Previously, they accomplished this feat against Atlanta and San Francisco on consecutive days at the end of April. Their next challenge lies in attempting a series clean sweep against the Marlins.
Hunter Goodman, one of the key players who certainly catalyzed the team’s recent uptick in form, termed the turn of events as ‘more uplifting than disheartening’. He highlighted the team’s struggles in the initial phase of the season, yet stated that merely being in a position to possibly secure a win is much more encouraging than having no fighting chance.
Goodman has indeed played a crucial role in ensuring the Rockies’ first series win of the season. The impact of his game did not go unnoticed by his teammates. From the standpoint of Brenton Doyle, the team’s centerfielder, ‘When Goodman is in form, he ranks as one of the most formidable hitters’. Doyle praised Goodman’s performance and wished for his good form to continue.
The win, however, was not devoid of tense moments. Seth Halvorsen, the Rockies’ relief pitcher, earned his third save, but not before he faced a scare from Heriberto Hernández. Hernández drove Halvorsen’s 1-1 pitch to a whopping distance of around 400 feet towards left-center, only to be intercepted by a game-ending, running catch at the wall by Brenton Doyle.
Warren Schaeffer candidly shared his initial fears surrounding the possible outcome of that play. ‘I won’t deny that I was terrified it would be a home run when the ball first took off’, admitted Schaeffer. He was relieved when the ball didn’t cross the boundary, and expressed his gratitude for having Doyle in the center field, whose catch saved the day.
Excluding one-off series, the plight of the Rockies is only the fourth of its kind since the MLB expanded in 1961. The Rockies endured 18 series before a series win in a season, a dubious distinction shared only with the 1987 Padres, 1969 Montreal Expos, and the 1962 Washington Senators. These teams also tasted their inaugural series victory in the 19th series of their respective seasons.
Prior to their arrival in Miami, the Rockies had a miserable 3-28 road record. This constitutes the worst road track record at that particular point in the season in over 100 years. Additionally, they had recently struggled with securing two straight road victories, a accomplishment last achieved on the fifth and sixth of September the preceding year.
The recent series win against the Marlins has certainly instilled a newfound confidence in the team. ‘Witnessing a couple of wins and securing the first series victory certainly feels good’, voiced Schaeffer, reiterating how necessary it is for the team to push forward and look at future games with renewed optimism now that the weight of the consecutive series losses has been lifted.