Denver, CO
Denver Broncos three players to watch for during mandatory minicamp – Mile High Sports
The Denver Broncos kick off mandatory minicamp next week, and all eyes will continue to be on the team’s quarterback position, but who are three players Broncos Country should keep their eyes on that don’t play QB?
Denver Broncos Minicamp: Three players to watch
This exercise seems like a great way to focus on the Denver Broncos’ ongoing quarterback competition, but that would be too easy. Of course, everybody will have their eyes on Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson, but there are other players who deserve attention and focus this week.
Courtland Sutton returns to practice this week
Courtland Sutton is making his return to practice this week, ending his holdout from the team’s voluntary offseason program.
Denver’s top veteran wide receiver will now begin developing chemistry with Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson as the first step toward training camp officially kicks off. On top of that, Sutton returns to a room featuring the return of Tim Patrick and Marvin Mims.
This trio will likely be the team’s top three receivers in 2024, and the addition of Josh Reynolds helps make the room even more talented on paper.
After hauling in 10 touchdowns last season, Sutton will look to continue to produce at a high level despite his ongoing contract situation with the team. There is an internal belief that both sides will come to terms on something that makes sense for each party.
P.J. Locke and Ja’Quan McMillian in the Broncos secondary
There’s a lot of youth and enthusiasm inside of the Denver Broncos secondary. A lot of that is led by Patrick Surtain II, P.J. Locke, and Ja’Quan McMillian.
Surtain will be relied upon heavily this season to become even more vocal after the departure of Justin Simmons, but Locke and McMillian can also help establish their voices even further.
Locke is expected to be the veteran voice at safety, and McMillian has been an early star during OTAs. Last week during practice, Locke intercepted Zach Wilson during team drills while McMillian continued to make plays in the passing game, playing in the slot and on the outside.
With media gaining access to all three days of practice next week, these are the players we’ll have our eyes on.
Denver, CO
Denver hockey’s Johnny Hicks wins DU Pioneers’ Male Athlete of the Year
Denver, CO
Rockies’ Ryan Feltner pitches a gem, Jake McCarthy shines in 8-3 win over Giants
The Rockies threw a boffo welcome-back for Ryan Feltner on Saturday night, and the right-hander was the biggest party animal of all.
Coming back from an elbow injury and making his first big-league start since April 23, the right-hander celebrated by pitching six crisp, efficient innings in Colorado’s 8-3 win over the Giants at Coors Field. Feltner allowed no runs, just four hits, struck out two, and walked none. He needed just 63 pitches, throwing 41 for strikes.
“I felt great and felt like all of my pitches were working,” said Feltner, who became the first Rockies starter to pitch six scoreless innings with no walks since lefty Kyle Freeland on Sept. 5 of last season vs. San Diego.
“I was really happy about the efficiency part of the game,” Feltner added. “It’s always important to go deep into a game here (at Coors).”
Manager Warren Schaeffer said there was never any thought about pushing Feltner past six innings after Feltner made just two minor league rehab starts.
“There was no reason to push him into the seventh; he did his job,” Schaeffer said. “His fastball command was exceptional, his slider was good and he got double-play balls early when he needed to. I just thought he controlled his game very well.
“He controlled his emotions, he was in attack mode, and like we talked about before the game, when he does that, he’s pretty dang good.”
The Rockies, who beat San Francisco 8-6 on Friday night on a walk-off homer by Ezequiel Tovar, clinched their first series win since sweeping the Mets from April 24-29 in New York.
Feltner got plenty of support.
The Rockies have had a nasty habit this season of scoring early only to see the offense go into hibernation. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The Rockies kept piling on and taking away any chance for late-game drama in LoDo.
“When a guy goes out there and grinds away, like Feltner did, you want to reward them with run,” said center fielder Jake McCarthy, who had a big night from the leadoff spot, going 3 for 4 with a walk and driving in four runs.
McCarthy’s 427-foot two-run homer in the fourth off Giants right-hander Adrian Houser gave Colorado a 4-0 lead. McCarthy added an RBI single in the fifth and another in Colorado’s three-run seventh. He also recorded his club-leading 10th stolen base and reached base four times for the eighth time in his career.
“I haven’t been patient the last week, I had a lot of pretty bad at-bats” he said. “But I think it’s just about getting good pitches to hit. … Getting into good counts, seeing pitches and taking pitcher’s pitches you can make it easier on yourself. I think I did a good job of that tonight.”
Also in the seventh, Kyle Karros came off the bench to whistle a leadoff homer to right off Ryan Borucki. It was Karros’ third homer of the season, fourth of his young career, and the first pinch-hit home run of his career. It was also his first home run against a team other than the Dodgers — his father, Eric’s, former team.
“That was becoming a thing, so it’s nice to put that narrative to rest,” Karros joked. “I think I saw somewhere where it said, ‘Are the Dodgers just feeling Karros meatballs?’ That’s certainly not the case.”
The Rockies provided an early comfort zone for Feltner by scoring two runs in the first inning. McCarthy and Hunter Goodman drew walks off Houser, Willi Castro delivered an RBI single, and Sterling Thompson took one for the team, getting plunked by Houser with the bases loaded.
Castro hit 2 for 5, recording a multi-hit game for the fifth time in his last six starts.
San Francisco spoiled a rare Rockies shutout with a two-run homer in the eighth by Drew Gilbert off reliever Blas Castano.
The Rockies (22-37) will play for their third series sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon at Coors. Should the Rockies win, they will move out of the National League West cellar and the Giants (22-36) would fall into last place.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 5.85), 1:10 p.m.
Monday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 8.08) at Angels RHP Jose Soriano (6-4, 2.65), 7:38 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4, 4.01) at Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 7.53), 7:38 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-7, 7.22) at Angels RHP Walbert Urena (2-4, 2.44), 7:38 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Denver, CO
Colorado outdoor spirit, music comes to downtown Denver
-
News8 minutes agoFamily visitation partly restored at New Jersey ICE facility after week of protests
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoMan found stabbed to death in Huntington Park
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoDetroit Grand Prix father-daughter volunteers help make winner’s circle moments shine
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoTony Vitello just lost the only Giants allies he has left
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoFatal crash on LBJ Freeway in Dallas leaves 1 dead, multiple people hospitalized, police say
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoDeputies searching for 2 men accused of shooting man during attempted robbery in SW Miami-Dade
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoFriend of Worcester woman killed in Virginia I-95 crash ‘cannot believe she is gone.’ – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver hockey’s Johnny Hicks wins DU Pioneers’ Male Athlete of the Year