Rockies Fall Short Against Nationals
Another tough game for our beloved Rockies as they faced off against the Washington Nationals, ultimately falling 3-8. Though we saw some sparks of brilliance, it wasn’t enough to come away with the win. Let's break down the game inning by inning and highlight some key moments.
Inning-by-Inning Breakdown
1st Inning:The game started quietly with both teams unable to score. Ezequiel Tovar, Brendan Rodgers, and Brenton Doyle all struck out swinging, and on the Nationals' side, Alex Call and CJ Abrams were quickly retired as well. Despite James Wood walking, Keibert Ruiz ended the inning by grounding out to third.
2nd Inning:
Another scorcher of an inning for pitchers on both sides, with Michael Toglia, Jacob Stallings, and Nolan Jones all grounding out. Our defense held strong as Luis Garcia Jr., Jose Tena, and Juan Yepez couldn't get anything going.
3rd Inning:
Here’s where it started getting interesting. After Jordan Beck got a single, increasing our hopes, a striking out by Sam Hilliard, grounding out by Aaron Schunk, and another strikeout by Tovar left us empty-handed. The Nationals capitalized when Joey Gallo walked and scored off Wood’s single, followed by Call scoring, putting the Nats up 2-0.
Mid-Game Struggles
4th-5th Inning:We saw opportunities in the 4th with Rodgers singling and Stallings getting hit by a pitch, but Jones’ grounding into a double play cut it short. By the 5th, Beck flied out, and both Hilliard and Schunk struck out again. In response, our pitchers managed to keep the Nationals from increasing their lead.
6th Inning:
A ray of hope shone when Doyle smashed a home run to left center. That was quickly dimmed when the Nationals piled on runs with doubles and singles, stretching their lead to 5-1.
7th-8th Inning:
We struggled against a fresh arm as strikeouts and groundouts continued to mount. The Nationals, however, didn’t miss a beat with Yepez hitting a three-run homer extending their lead to 8-1. Ouch.
The Final Push and the Silver Lining 
9th Inning:Just when it looked all but over, Jacob Stallings gave us something to cheer about with a two-run homer bringing Toglia home. Nolan Jones then doubled right after, but Jordan Beck struck out swinging to end the game at 3-8.
Highlights and Positives 
A game with some high points:- Brenton Doyle’s 406 feet home run was a blast!
- Jacob Stallings's late-game two-run homer showed that our players can deliver under pressure.
- Nolan Jones's double late in the game was another bright spot, hinting at what could have been.
While the outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, let’s keep our heads up and continue to support our boys in purple. It’s a long season, and there are more games to win! Go Rockies!
Scoreboard for Rockies @ Nationals (August 22nd, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 |