The Colorado Rockies didn’t win their first series in 2025 until early June, but 2026 has started differently. Colorado secured its first series victory by taking two out of three in Toronto, beating the reigning American League champions 2-1 in 10 innings Wednesday.
The Rockies take that momentum into their home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday afternoon in Denver. Colorado will put Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 6.23 ERA) up against Aaron Nola (0-0, 5.40) in the matinee matchup.
Lorenzen, 34, signed a one-year deal with Colorado in January to add veteran stability to a rotation that struggled last season. He made his Rockies debut at Miami on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, and now has the ball for the first game of the season at Coors Field.
He has faced Philadelphia 10 times in his career — two starts — and is 1-4 with a 6.98 ERA in those outings.
Colorado, coming off a 43-119 campaign, is trying to avoid becoming the fifth MLB club to record four straight 100-loss seasons.
The Rockies made significant changes to their front office and roster in the winter. They kept the core players — shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, catcher Hunter Goodman and outfielders Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle — but added some speed.
Colorado’s strategy of being aggressive on the basepaths paid off in Wednesday’s eighth inning when Jake McCarthy stole second and scored the tying run on a single.
“That’s how we want to play,” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, whose team has 10 stolen bases this year. “… It’s been a good start in terms of grit. We’re trying to play like that every game.”
The Phillies have won two in a row after a three-game skid. They went 7-0 against Colorado in 2025 and swept a four-game series in Denver last May.
Philadelphia has won 16 of the last 19 games between the teams.
Nola allowed three runs in five innings in his 2026 debut Saturday but didn’t factor into the decision in the Phillies’ 5-4, 10-inning loss to Texas. He is making his 12th career start against the Rockies and is 4-2 with a 3.33 ERA in the previous 11 games. Six of his starts have come in Colorado, where he is 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA.
Philadelphia has struggled offensively through the first six games of the season, hitting .220 as a team with just seven home runs and three stolen bases, but one player is off to a strong start. Rookie outfielder Justin Crawford made his MLB debut on Opening Day, singling on the first pitch he saw, and has built on that moment.
Crawford has played in five of the first six games and is 7-for-17 with a double and three runs scored. He capped his first week in the big leagues by delivering a walk-off single in the 10th inning on Wednesday to beat the Washington Nationals 6-5.
“It’s gone by fast,” Crawford said. “I’m trying to enjoy it, but still also trying to stay focused each and every day to be ready to play.”
–Field Level Media
