Rockies Set Starting Rotation for Big-Time Clash with Pirates

The Colorado Rockies have lost four series in a row, bringing their record to 16-25. Luck has not been on their side, to say the least. Not all is lost, however, as the team now travels to Pittsburgh to begin a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with an opportunity to bring some good mojo back into the clubhouse before the end of the road trip.

Heading into the season, this would’ve been considered an even matchup considering how awful the two sides have performed over the past decade. But considering how the Pirates have played so far, that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when it comes to starting pitching.

The Pirates currently sport a 3.43 ERA from their starting pitchers, which is seventh in all of baseball. Meanwhile, the Rockies — who have to battle the poor conditions of Coors Field — are dead last at 5.27.

That said, the Rockies’ arms are going to have their work cut out for themselves in Pittsburgh. Here are the three pitchers that manager Warren Schaeffer is trusting to deliver the team a series win against the Pirates.

Game 1 — Michael Lorenzen

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Michael Lorenzen’s inaugural season in Denver has been a roller coaster. There have been moments of brilliance, and there have also been times when everybody watching has wanted to pull their hair out in frustration. Schaeffer and company hope that the former occurs at PNC Park on Tuesday evening.

Lorenzen delivered one of his “uh oh, here we go again” outings his last time on the mound on May 6 versus the New York Mets. He went five innings and allowed seven runs on 11 hits. He struck out two and walked three. It was not a quality performance.

The good news is that Lorenzen has historically had success against the Pirates. In 44 outings versus Pittsburgh, Lorenzen has held Pirates batters to a .597 OPS. That’ll absolutely play. The only question is if he can do it in 2026. We’ll just have to find out.

Game 2 — Jose Quintana

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jose Quintana. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Jose Quintana is just straight-up reliable. He’s not going to wow you every time he steps out onto the mound, but he darn sure is going to give it his all, and most of the time that means he’s delivering a quality outing.

That’s exactly what he did on May 7 against the Mets. He gave up just two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work. Command was a bit of an issue — of the 74 pitches he threw, only 43 found the strike zone — but he still managed to get the job done in what ended up as a 6-2 Rockies victory.

Game 3 — Chase Dollander

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

This is where the Rockies have their best chance to win. Not only has Chase Dollander been amazing to start his sophomore season — he currently has a 3.35 ERA over 43 innings of work — but it’ll be the first instance in the series where the Rockies definitively have the better arm on the mound. Opposing Dollander will be Carmen Mlodzinski, who is by no means a bad pitcher — Dollander is just better.

Dollander’s most recent performance illustrates that perfectly. On May 8 against the Philadelphia Phillies, he stymied the opposing lineup, allowing just two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Sure, the walks were an issue — he allowed five free passes compared to five strikeouts — but just like Quintana the day before, he got the job done. That’s all that matters in the end, right?

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