Colorado
Rockies are playing with fire with high walk rate
SAN DIEGO — Walks haunt, and late-game walks haunt absolutely.
Usually.
The Rockies’ 5-4 win over the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park was the exception. They pulled off the victory despite issuing 11 walks, only the third win in franchise history when they walked 11 or more. It also happened on May 12, 1995, at Florida and on June 5, 1999, vs. Milwaukee.
Monday night, the late-game relief trio of Jake Bird (two walks), Justin Lawrence (three) and Jalen Beeks (three) combined for eight walks over the final 3 1/3 innings. The Rockies played with fire but somehow survived.
There are few things manager Bud Black hates more than walks, and he’s already seen a lot this season. Despite daily preaching by pitching coach Darryl Scott, bullpen coach Reid Cornelius and Black, the free passes keep piling up. Entering Tuesday night’s game against the Padres, Colorado had walked 161 batters for an average of 4.03 walks per nine innings. Only the Mets (4.55), Marlins (4.30) and Astros (4.08) have been worse.
With that in mind, I asked Black, somewhat facetiously, if walks can be contagious. After all, hitting is said to be infectious in a dugout. Perhaps the tendency to walk hitters spreads through the bullpen?
“I don’t know whether it goes from one guy to the next,” Black said. “But if you start walking guys as an individual, it can lead to more. I hate to say it, but it can. Last night that might have been the case. So the answer can be yes — to each individual.”
I took my theory to Lawrence. Like Black, he dismissed my nutty idea of walks spreading from pitcher to pitcher, but he said mind games definitely ramp up when a pitcher starts throwing more balls than strikes.
“Once it gets to a certain point, where you walk two guys in an inning, or you walk a guy and you throw three balls to the next guy, you start to press a little bit,” said Lawrence, whose 6.5 walks per nine are the second-highest on the team behind right-hander Tyler Kinley (6.6).
“I think what happens is that you start thinking, ‘Oh, man, I have to throw a strike right here,’ instead of just going out there and making your pitch, being an athlete and trusting your process,” Lawrence said. “What you have to do, or think, is ‘Hey, if I walk this guy, I know I can get back in the zone and get out of the jam.’ ”
When asked if the pressure of the situation matters — late game, close game, momentum shifts — Lawrence said it doesn’t, at least not for him.
“I’ve been around long enough and pitched enough innings to know that it’s me vs. the hitter, not me vs. the score or the inning,” he said. “It’s my best stuff against his best swing, regardless of the game situation. It’s a matter of executing.”
Still, Lawrence acknowledged that walks can snowball on a pitcher as they did Monday night.
“It can happen, but I think that’s what separates (relievers) in this game is handling it,” he said. “You have to believe that, no matter what, you can get the next batter. Maybe one pitch gets you a double play and gets you out of trouble.”
Lawrence is well aware of Black’s contempt for bases on balls.
“Yeah, I know he does, but it’s a long season and you’re going to have rough stretches like last night,” Lawrence said. “But we’re going to clean it up.”
They’d better. Because too many games like Monday’s game will make the Rockies’ long season feel like an eternity.
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Damage assessments are still ongoing for homes and businesses affected by the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado, but over 200 homes have been confirmed destroyed so far. The United Way of Southern Colorado is working to raise relief funds for those affected and says it’s making progress towards its fundraising goal.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said they’ve assessed approximately 67% of the properties affected in the county. Authorities have confirmed the loss of 192 homes and four commercial structures so far and are working to contact property owners as quickly as possible.
Lucero urged everyone affected by the fire to use the survivor portal for more information on assistance.
Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith says they’ve lost approximately 83 homes so far, almost 2% of the county’s homes. The worst hit area is along the Highway 165 corridor, Smith added. He said that authorities don’t expect any new evacuation areas, but are not yet ready to release the existing evacuation orders.
Smith said a hotline is available during business hours for affected Custer County Residents to ask questions. He urged residents to contact them at (719) 467-0271 and advised they may need to leave a voicemail if the line is busy due to the high number of calls.
A flash flood watch is in effect for areas near the burn scar, which could affect nearby homes.
The President of the United Way of Southern Colorado, Shanna Farmer, said the organization is working to raise wildfire relief funds for those affected. Over the last few days, they have reached just over $417,000 of their $10 million goal.
“It has been incredible, the number of individuals and companies who have come out to support, to provide matches, and to provide innovative ways to raise those funds,” said Farmer. “And so, I encourage anyone who is willing to work with us on a corporate, business, or individual level to please reach out because it is going to take all of us to help rebuild.”
Farmer said that the community not only needs help with their immediate needs but also long-term support. She urged anyone interested in donating to visit their website.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says anyone who has evacuated needs to contact the Disaster Assistance Center located at 29 Lehigh Ave. in Pueblo. The center is open between 9 a.m and 6 p.m. and provides multiple resources for those forced to evacuate.
Residents must also visit the center to obtain a re-entry pass, which will allow them to return home once evacuation orders have been lifted. A photo ID and proof of residency are required. Visitors can sign up online to reserve a place in line for faster service.
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Colorado
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
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