TJ Rumfield’s bat had been doing plenty of work even without the long ball, but Tuesday night gave the Rockies exactly the kind of swing they needed.
Rumfield snapped his homerless stretch with a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning, sending Colorado to a 4-2 win over the Orioles. The result did two things at once: it stopped the Rockies’ six-game losing streak and brought an end to a club-record home skid that had reached 10 games. It was Rumfield’s first home run since July 18.
The rookie first baseman didn’t need the homer to prove his season has been rolling along. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, and over his last nine games he is 9-for-26 with 14 walks and only three strikeouts.
That patience has kept him near the top of the National League rookie leaderboard, where he now leads in batting average at .290 and on-base percentage at .384. He is also three walks shy of Dexter Fowler’s 2009 Rockies rookie record of 67.
Still, the power showed up when Colorado needed it most. September callup Adael Amador opened the scoring with a homer in the Rockies’ two-run second inning, but the game stayed tied heading into the seventh. By then, Colorado had managed just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, which made Rumfield’s 14th homer of the season especially timely.
The blast came left-on-left against Orioles debutant and No. 7 prospect Luis De León, and it gave the Rockies the separation they had been chasing all night.
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Hunter Goodman Just Entered A Trade Conversation Rockies Fans Should Watch
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Hunter Goodman has already surfaced as one of the names worth tracking for Colorado fans, not just because he fits the profile of a player who could draw serious interest, but because the market around him may depend on whether other top catchers move first. If someone like William Contreras is dealt, Goodman becomes even more intriguing in a thin class, putting the Rockies in the middle of a decision that could shape their offseason long before spring training arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Set Up A September Look At What Comes Next
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Castano has already gotten into 10 big league games this season, and Amador has appeared in five, giving the club a modest but meaningful sample of what each can offer. Their time with the Isotopes has only sharpened the sense that September is about more than just filling out a roster, it is a chance to see which young pieces can start to fit into what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Gunnar Henderson Is Giving The Orioles Real Wild-Card Hope
Gunnar Hendersons latest burst came at just the right time for Baltimore, which is trying to keep its momentum alive as the playoff race tightens. Henderson drilled two home runs and drove in five runs in the Orioles 8-5 win over the Athletics, another reminder that their lineup still has the kind of top-end thump that can matter in September.
Baltimore now turns to a three-game series against Colorado, with Tanner Gordon lined up to start for the Rockies. The home side will also be without rookie Cole Carrigg for the next few days after manager Warren Schaeffer disciplined him over an inappropriate gesture toward fans, a reminder that the Rockies are trying to manage both the scoreboard and the atmosphere as this series gets underway. [Read more 🡒]