Initial Thoughts After Rockies Claim Series Victory Over Cardinals

The Colorado Rockies bounced back after being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Jul 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) high fives relief pitcher Victor Vodnik (38) after the victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies closed their road trip on a high note with a 2-1 series win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. After losing the first game in the series the Rockies needed to win two straight to claim the series, something that has been easier said than done for the franchise this season.

Colorado bounced back after losing eight straight games, which included two series sweeps, one in historic fashion against the Toronto Blue Jays last week where they were outscored 45-6 at Coors Field. Colorado has allowed 10 or more runs in five games this month. But, this series was different.

Solid Pitching from the Starters and Bullpen

Two of the three starters this series had great outings. Rookie Chase Dollander started the first game and Kyle Freeland the second game. Dollander was optioned back to Triple-A after a disastrous start to work on pitch location and returned after a month at Triple-A.

The coaches said he needed to throw more strikes and that is exactly what he gave them. Even though the Rockies took a 3-2 loss in that game, he only allowed one run in five innings to complement five strikeouts. But, it was Freeland who was the star of the series.

Aug 12, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Rockies managed just their second shutout of the season in Freeland's start, winning 3-0. The first also came in a game against the Cardinals started by Tanner Gordon. This time it was Freeland's turn.

Freeland pitched into the eighth inning before stepping off the mound as he struck out two. Reliever Victor Vodnik stepped in to finish the job. He fanned three hitters and kept the Cardinals off the board.

Offense Over Defense in Game 3

The bullpen had its work cut out for its after starting pitcher Austin Gomber allowed five runs, including a two-run homer in the fifth. Four pitchers stepped up to keep the game from spiraling any further, which included Vodnik as the closer. Nick Anderson, Jaden Hill, and Jimmy Herget teamed up with Vodnik to allow no hits and no runs with four strikeouts.

Colorado found itself down 5-2 going into the sixth inning as Mickey Moniak stepped up with a home run to get the offense back on track. Then, in the ninth inning Hunter Goodman stepped in with a pinch-hit, two-run home run that went 436 feet and gave the Rockies the lead for good.

The Rockies' struggles are far from over, but it allowed them to take a step closer toward avoiding finishing the season with the most losses in a single MLB season.

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