Rockies fans — if you’re still out there holding onto hope, Thursday’s ninth-inning meltdown against the Dodgers might’ve felt like someone yanked that hope right out of your glove and chucked it over the fence.
Bottom of the ninth, trailing 3–1. You’ve got a guy on first, one out, and your tying run is at the plate. There’s still a heartbeat. That tiny flicker of maybe, just maybe. But in a season where things already feel historically bleak — and that’s not hyperbole, they are traditionally bad — the Colorado Rockies managed to turn a moment of potential into a moment of facepalm.
Execution Breakdown in the Ninth
Thairo Estrada, bless him, did his job. A solid liner out to left-center. Not a towering moonshot, but something with life, something that made you sit up in your seat. Unfortunately, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages was more than ready. He tracked it, snatched it, and before you could say “no tag!” launched a laser back toward first.
Tyler Freeman, who was on first, seemed caught in baseball limbo. Maybe he thought it would drop, or he was dreaming about extra innings — who knows? What we do know is that he didn’t tag up, didn’t hold his ground, and by the time Pages’ throw came rocketing in, Freeman’s slide was more of a formality than a save. Bang-bang play? Not quite. Game over? Absolutely.
Swept Again by the Dodgers
And just like that, the Rockies not only dropped another one to the Dodgers — they got swept again. It’s the second time this season. That’s 0-for-the-series x2, and if you’re keeping score at home, this is the kind of baseball that’s earned them the league’s worst record.
It’s not just that they’re losing — it’s how they’re losing—mental lapses, sloppy base-running, and an almost stunning lack of situational awareness. And against a team like L.A., you can’t afford to blink.
The Little Things Aren’t So Little
Look, mistakes happen in baseball. That’s part of the game. But when you’re already scraping the bottom of the standings, when your offense sputters, and your pitching can’t keep leads, boneheaded base-running decisions like Thursday nights are just gasoline on the fire.
At some point, it’s not about talent. It’s about execution. About the little things — the awareness, the discipline, the focus. And right now, the Rockies are missing those in bulk.
You can’t win games like that. And until something changes? You can’t even hope to.
