The Colorado Rockies walked into Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night and did something that doesn’t show up in any preseason projection: they kept fighting.
Down 3-1 in the top of the eighth, Colorado flipped the game with a three-run rally and left with a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the second straight night the Rockies pushed the two-time reigning World Series champions, and this time the late push actually turned into a victory.
The inning started with Kyle Karros drawing a walk against Will Klein, who had just entered after Justin Wrobleski had kept the Rockies quiet. Cole Carrigg followed with a single that moved Karros to second, and then Tyler Freeman put the ball in play on the first pitch he saw. Miguel Rojas made an error on the grounder, Karros scored, and Carrigg moved to third.
Who needs to scroll when you can watch this on repeat pic.twitter.com/vbpmrerYe7
Dave Roberts then turned to Jack Dreyer, but Colorado kept pressing. Jake McCarthy laid down a sacrifice bunt, and the Dodgers made another mistake on the play. Alex Freeland’s throwing error allowed two runs to score, and just like that the Rockies were in front 4-3.
Colorado never gave the lead back.
The result came one night after Cole Carrigg nearly delivered a win with his own heroics in the series opener. On Tuesday, it was the kind of old-school, pressure-filled baseball that did the damage. The Rockies didn’t overpower Los Angeles; they outworked them in the moment that mattered.
Nobody is claiming Colorado is better than the Dodgers. The gap is obvious.
But over these last two nights, the Rockies have shown something sturdier than reputation: they’ve got some fight in them. And that matters, especially for a team with legitimate talent scattered across the roster and enough promise to build around going forward.
In Other News...
Rockies Face A Brutal Decision On One Of Their Few Stars
Ryan Goodman has become one of the few bright spots in a Rockies season defined by bigger problems on the mound. The 2026 campaign has only strengthened his value, with a .254 average, an .870 OPS and 27 home runs helping him earn a second straight All-Star nod, the kind of production that makes him one of Colorados most attractive trade chips if the front office decides to reshape the roster.
For a rebuilding club staring at a pitching staff that has struggled badly and a farm system thin on high-end arms, Goodman sits at the center of a difficult calculation. Moving him could bring back the kind of pitching help and payroll relief the Rockies badly need, but keeping him means holding onto one of the lineups few legitimate difference-makers, and the organization is still weighing whether this is the moment to make that kind of move. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Are Already Treating Jordan Romano Like A Bullpen Answer
Jordan Romano did not have to wait long to find a new late-inning home after the Angels let him go earlier this season. Colorado signed the veteran reliever and immediately handed him the closer job, a sign the Rockies are willing to see whether his track record can still play in a thinner bullpen and at Coors Field.
Romano has given them a quick reason to be encouraged, working two clean-looking appearances in which he allowed one hit and struck out two in each outing. He picked up a save in his second game, and for a club that has been searching for stability at the back end, the early usage suggests Colorado is treating him less like a flyer and more like a real answer, even if the bigger test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Rockies Face A Huge Draft Test After Years Of First Round Frustration
The Rockies are heading into another draft with the same pressure that has hovered over the organization for years: find talent that can actually change the lineup and survive the realities of Coors Field. General manager Josh Byrnes and president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta have framed the task around a simple idea, scoring runs and taking the best player available, while also trying to sharpen the clubs drafting process with better data models and a more unified organizational approach.
What makes this one trickier is the pitching question, which in Denver is never just about stuff or pedigree. Colorado is studying why some arms translate at altitude and others do not, a search that has to inform every decision without becoming a crutch. The Rockies have had some encouraging recent draft results, but the broader test remains whether this front office can turn a philosophy into a first-round pick that holds up over time. [Read more 🡒]