Hope and optimism have not been in huge supply for the Colorado Rockies in recent years.
Although they’re still in a sizable hole in the National League West, their recent form has been an encouraging sign for the future.
Colorado will look to keep its good vibes going when it opens a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis. The Rockies are coming off a 4-2 homestand that ended with an 8-6 win on Wednesday to clinch a series victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said his players deserve to feel good about their most recent performance, which saw them rally from a 6-3 deficit over the final three innings.
“Our boys just never quit,” Schaeffer said. “When the seventh inning rolls around, we’re down, (but we think) something’s bound to happen with us. You just feel it every night.
“We showed here the whole homestand — basically all year — but specifically in this homestand (that it) doesn’t matter how much you’re down, you always feel good about it.”
Meanwhile, Minnesota will try to improve its mood in the dugout after getting swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Twins sustained a pair of one-run losses in the series, including a 4-3 setback on Wednesday night when Shohei Ohtani started on the mound and in the lineup.
Twins manager Derek Shelton kept a big-picture perspective despite the sweep.
“You see why he’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” Shelton said of Ohtani. “We got the three runs off him (in the second inning), and it was almost like he took his stuff to a different level.
” … We pitched well. We played defense well. We didn’t get the big hit when we needed it.”
Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (6-3, 4.11 ERA) will try to help his team move on from the sweep. Bradley is six strikeouts shy of 500 for his career.
In his most recent outing, Bradley earned the win after limiting the Arizona Diamondbacks to two runs on three hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out four in the 16-8 victory on Saturday.
This will be Bradley’s second career start against the Rockies. He also faced Colorado in March 2025, when he earned the win and notched a quality start. He allowed two runs on five hits in six innings, walking none and striking out seven.
The Rockies will counter with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (8-4, 4.31), who leads the team with 79 1/3 innings and is tied for the team lead in victories. Sugano has won each of his past four starts.
Sugano’s latest win came Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom he limited to one run on four hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out five.
As with Bradley, Sugano has faced Minnesota once with that start coming last season. He took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings on May 15, 2025.
Hunter Goodman leads the Rockies with 21 homers this season, and Mickey Moniak and TJ Rumfield are tied for second on the club with 12 homers apiece.
The Twins’ top slugger is Byron Buxton, who has 25 homers. Brooks Lee is next with 13 homers, and Kody Clemens rounds out the top three power hitters with 11 long balls.
-Field Level Media
