T.J. Rumfield Ends Two Long Droughts With One Swing for Rockies

The Colorado Rockies have not been playing good baseball. They hadn’t won a game at Coors Field in almost a month.

T.J. Rumfield waited even longer to hit another home run.

In just one swing, both droughts were over on Tuesday night.

Rumfield broke a 2-2 count with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. That was the difference-maker in Colorado’s 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The series is now tied.

The win on Tuesday evening snapped the Rockies’ franchise-record 10-game home losing streak. It was the first victory at their home, Coors Field, since August 2. Almost exactly one month of purple-jersey fans filing out of the ballpark after a loss.

The win on Tuesday brings the organization to 53-86 on the year.

For Rumfield, the drought was personal. He hadn’t hit a home run since July 18. Now that he finally hit another one, his season total rises to 14.

T.J. Rumfield Found His Power

Colorado Rockies first baseman T.J. Rumfield Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rumfield had a little help from the Orioles in setting up his opportunity, but then he took full advantage.

Mickey Moniak reached second base at the start of the seventh inning when Baltimore’s star second baseman, Jackson Holliday, dropped a pop fly in shallow right field.

Rumfield followed and made them pay for the mistake.

The 25-year-old cracked a 404-foot home run into the Colorado bullpen off of the Orioles’ Yennier De Leon. It turned a tied 2-2 game into a 4-2 Rockies advantage and that was the game-changer.

The moment took a long time to arrive for a player who had, for the most part, been a productive hitter. He just couldn’t find the home run zone.

Rumfield left Coors Field Tuesday after going 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. That brings his line to .290 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI and an .827 OPS this season.

The home run drought didn’t mean Rumfield wasn’t contributing at all. Six long weeks without one, though, was a surprise. Hit number 14, well it couldn’t have been much better for him or the Rockies.

Rockies Finally Win at Home

Colorado Rockies Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If you have been a Rockies fan for very long you know all about Coors Field. Normally, it provides an advantage to the home team, so the losing streak was beginning to be hard to understand.

The longest home skid in franchise history. Colorado just keeps breaking records, just not the kind you hope for. Finally, after the painful stretch, the streak closed on Tuesday.

The losing streak nearly came to an end on Monday, but close doesn’t count in baseball. It was close, though.

Everyone watching, and probably even those at the park, thought that Jake McCarthy had hit a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth to give the Rockies the win on Monday evening. But, it wasn’t to be.

Colton Cowser made a miraculous catch over the center-field wall and stopped the hope right in its tracks. The O’s earned the win with a 2-1 score.

On Tuesday evening, Rumfield left nothing to chance. No Baltimore player was going to steal his homer.

The Rockies led early on when Adael Amador homered and then McCarthy drove in Zac Veen who had hit a triple earlier. This put the team ahead 2-0.

Baltimore eventually came back and tied the game up.

Rumfield took care of business in the bottom half.

Rockies Pitching Did Their Job

Colorado Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gabriel Hughes gave the Rockies a chance to win and sometimes that’s really all you need. Just a chance.

Hughes allowed just one run on four hits over 4.2 innings. He walked two, struck out four, and then departed with 78 pitches. When he left the mound for the final time, the team was ahead 2-1.

Juan Mejia took care of the eighth, making it scoreless for Baltimore, and then Jordan Romano struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his 14th save of the season.

After not having much to celebrate at Coors Field lately, the fans surely deserved this one.

With this team fighting to just not lose 100-plus again this year, losing at home had to stop. Will it? No one knows with the Rockies, but at least this is a start.

The first win at home in almost exactly a month. The first home run since July 18. Both ended with just one perfect swing.

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