In a game that will be remembered as a quintessential Coors Field classic, the Colorado Rockies orchestrated a monumental comeback, overcoming a nine-run first-inning deficit to stun the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-16 on a walk-off home run by Brenton Doyle on Friday night.
The series opener in Denver began as a showcase for the Pirates’ offense, which erupted for nine runs in the top of the first inning. The onslaught started with a string of singles, with Bryan Reynolds driving in the first run. With the bases loaded, center fielder Oneil Cruz launched a 458-foot grand slam off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela, his 18th home run of the season, to make it 5-0. The Pirates weren’t done, as an RBI single from Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a subsequent three-run homer by Andrew McCutchen off reliever Carson Palmquist pushed the lead to a staggering 9-0 before the Rockies even had a chance to bat. For McCutchen, it was his 11th homer of the season and moved him into fifth place on the Pirates’ all-time RBI list.
Despite the daunting deficit, the Rockies began to chip away. They answered with a run in the bottom of the first, followed by a three-run home run from first baseman Warming Bernabel off Pirates starter Andrew Heaney, trimming the lead to 9-4.
The scoring continued at a frantic pace through the middle innings. The Pirates extended their lead to 12-4 in the fourth, thanks to a two-run single from McCutchen. However, Colorado’s offense remained relentless, battling back with runs in the fourth and fifth innings. By the time the Pirates scored their 16th run in the top of the sixth on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, they held a 16-10 advantage. Pittsburgh set a season-high for runs scored, but their pitching staff could not contain the persistent Rockies lineup.
After a two-run homer by Yanquiel Fernández in the eighth inning cut the Pirates’ lead to 16-12, the stage was set for a dramatic ninth-inning collapse for Pittsburgh. Pirates reliever Dennis Santana entered to close the game but was met with an offensive explosion. Catcher Hunter Goodman started the rally with a solo home run. A walk to Jordan Beck was followed by an RBI triple from Bernabel, making it 16-14. Second baseman Thairo Estrada then singled to score Bernabel, bringing the Rockies within one run.
That brought center fielder Brenton Doyle to the plate with a runner on first. Doyle connected on a pitch from Santana and sent it over the fence for a two-run, walk-off home run, sealing the improbable 17-16 victory and sending the Coors Field crowd into a frenzy. It capped a five-run ninth inning for the home team.
The game was a tough pill to swallow for the Pirates, who saw their best offensive output of the season erased by what Sports Illustrated called their worst pitching performance. For the Rockies, who possess one of the worst records in baseball, the victory was a thrilling high point in a difficult season. According to ESPN, the win improved Colorado’s record to 29-80. The two teams will meet again on Saturday for the second game of the series.
