Denver, CO
Rockies earn MLB’s first win on a pitch-clock violation in wild night at Coors Field
This ballpark has had its share of crazy nights. Put this one near the top of the list.
Ryan McMahon’s based-loaded walk, which ended with a pitch-clock violation, completed a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to deliver the Colorado Rockies an 8-7 victory against the Washington Nationals in front of 34,509 at Coors Field.
It is the first walk-off win via the rule in MLB history. This is the second season with a pitch clock, and a ball is awarded when the pitcher does not throw in time. McMahon had a 3-2 count with the bases loaded, but Washington closer ended an ignominious outing with the Nationals’ final gaffe in a night full of them.
“Was that the first one? I hadn’t seen that before,” McMahon said. “Honestly, you hate to see a game end that way, but I’m happy it worked out in our favor.
“It’s only fitting that we get the first shot-clock violation to win a game.”
Finnegan leads the majors with nine pitch-clock violations this season. He’s also third in saves with 21, but did not record an out Saturday night against Colorado.
“Those situations, it just can’t happen. It can’t happen,” Finnegan said. “Just immediately felt awful about letting the team down in that big spot there. To lose the game in that way, it just can’t happen.”
Colorado trailed 7-5 entering the bottom of the eighth inning after the bullpen yielded two runs in both the seventh and eighth. McMahon homered in the eighth to give the Rockies a chance in the ninth.
They knocked around Finnegan with four straight singles to tie the game before McMahon worked the walk-off walk.
“That’s against a guy who’s having a really good year and has really good stuff,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Just a lot of really good at-bats. We squared the ball up against a guy that’s been really good. (That was) quality.”
Cal Quantrill pitched six solid innings in the win. Brendan Rodgers had one of the team’s three home runs in his return from injury.
Quantrill continued to be Colorado’s most effective pitcher this season. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings. Quantrill finished with six straight outs after yielding a home run to CJ Abrams to lead off the fifth inning.
That is Quantrill’s 10th quality start of the season. He’s tied for the second-most in the National League, behind Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler and San Francisco’s Logan Webb.
“He battled again,” Black said. “They seemed to have an idea about what to do with his split-finger (fastball), but he continued to make pitches. He’s a pitcher’s pitcher.”
Quantrill left with a 4-3 lead. His chances of collecting a seventh win were gone before the Rockies recorded another out in the seventh.
Jake Bird and Justin Lawrence combined to allow four runs in relief, the last two coming on Luis Garcia Jr.’s homer.
Rodgers celebrated his return from a strained hamstring with a three-run blast in the bottom of the third inning to give Colorado a 4-2 advantage. Mitchell Parker grooved a first-pitch fastball to Rodgers, and the Colorado second baseman sent it 436 feet into the second row of seats in center field section next to the pine trees for his fourth homer of the year.
Hunter Goodman greeted Washington relief pitcher Jacob Barnes with a 446-foot home run deep into the left-field seats to lead off the seventh inning and draw the Rockies back even at 5-5. Goodman has found a way to unlock his power at the MLB level this month.
Goodman now has five home runs in his past eight games after hitting three in his first 45 contests with the Rockies. He had 70 home runs in the minors over the past two seasons.
Before Finnegan’s violation, the Nationals also ran into four outs — three caught stealings by catcher Jacob Stallings — and gave away another on a weirdly-timed bunt.
The Nationals gave them an opening, and then the Rockies earned it. They won for just the time sixth time in 21 games this month.
“We’ve been punched in the mouth a couple times as a team, but we keep coming,” McMahon said. “And we’re just going to continue to do that.”
Bird, Bouchard injured. Colorado lost a pair of players during the game to injuries. Bird faced three batters before leaving with groin tightness. Sean Bouchard left with back soreness after trying to bend over and collect a ball in the right-center gap in the third inning.
Kitchen recalled. The Rockies recalled Austin Kitchen before the game Saturday. It’s his first time on a major-league roster. He won a College World Series at Coastal Carolina but was not drafted. He spent a year pitching for the Steel City Slammin’ Sammies in a four-team independent league in 2020 before signing with the Rockies in 2021. The Rockies designated relief pitcher Geoff Hartlieb (0-0, 9.00 ERA in nine innings) for assignment to make room for Kitchen.
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-6, 3.24 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-3, 13.21 ERA)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland will make his first start for the Rockies since April 14, having missed more than two months with a left elbow strain. The 31-year-old Freeland made three rehab starts at Class AAA for Albuquerque, allowing three runs over 10 innings. Freeland was Colorado’s opening-day starter. He yielded 25 runs (23 earned) in his four starts before the injury, including 10 on opening night.
Irvin, 27, is in his second year in the Nationals’ rotation. He yielded four runs on eight hits and four walks against Arizona last time out, but before that reeled off a string of five straight strong starts — just five runs allowed total with 31 strikeouts across 31 2/3 innings. He has faced Colorado once in his brief MLB career, allowing four runs in six innings July 26, 2003.
Pitching probables
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Rockies TBD at Houston TBD, 6:10 p.m.
Wednesday: Rockies TBD at Houston TBD, 12:10 p.m.
Metro Denver commuters can look forward to faster trips on the Regional Transportation District’s light rail after the agency lifted the last of 31 speed restrictions that have slowed trains for almost a year.
RTD lifted the final slow zone on a 400-foot southbound segment near the Southmoor Station on Tuesday morning, officials said in a news release.
Transportation officials found minor issues and “track imperfections” in May 2024 and added 10 mph speed restrictions to sections of the D, E, H and R lines in June and July until workers could finish repairs.
Over the next 11 months, nearly 100 employees removed and replaced more than two miles of track and finished grinding 50 miles of rail to remove surface defects that could cause cracks, according to RTD.
The delays caused frustration among customers and drops in ridership, with some people reporting more than double the amount of time to take their regular route to work.
Temporary speed restrictions will return as needed after rail inspections because of RTD’s “aging rail infrastructure,” the agency said.
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Originally Published:
DENVER- Denver International Airport (DEN) employees are questioning CEO Phil Washington over expensive business-class flights for executives. The trip to a conference in Madrid cost the airport over $165,000, with one United Airlines (UA) ticket priced at $19,194.21.
Workers expressed concerns about the ethical implications of such high spending while frontline staff face budget constraints. Washington defended the decision, calling it an investment in leadership development.
Denver Airport CEO’s $19,000 Flight
At a quarterly town hall meeting for Denver International Airport (DEN) employees, an anonymous worker challenged CEO Phil Washington on the decision to approve expensive business class tickets for a three-day conference in Madrid.
The employee highlighted a $19,194.21 ticket, noting it “creates a rift in sentiment between frontline and senior leadership.”
The trip, attended by Washington and eight executive staff members, cost approximately $165,000, averaging $18,000 per person for flights, conference fees, hotels, and meals on United Airlines (UA).
Washington defended the expenditure, emphasizing the conference’s value for professional development.
He attributed high ticket costs to late bookings, stating, “Some travel requests came in a little later,” causing prices to spike.
However, records from a CBS News investigation revealed most tickets were purchased months in advance, contradicting claims of last-minute bookings.
Travel consultant Robert Laney expressed disbelief at the costs, suggesting that waiting could have reduced fares to $8,000–$9,000 per ticket.
Policy Under Review
Amid the growing backlash, CEO Washington announced that Denver International Airport (DEN) is reassessing its travel policy.
“We are reviewing our policy. There are some revisions we could make to that policy,” he said, although no immediate changes have been finalized or disclosed.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that the current review will cover the entire travel procedure, from initial requests and booking to reimbursement processes.
The aim, according to Washington, is to ensure future decisions reflect fiscal responsibility without compromising professional development goals.
Despite the controversy, Washington maintained his position, stating, “I stand by the professional development opportunity as an investment in our people that will pay off in the long run.”
Bottom Line
The controversy has sparked broader discussions about transparency and equity at Denver International Airport (DEN).
Frontline workers, who often face tighter budgets, expressed frustration over the perceived extravagance of executive travel.
The issue underscores the need for clear, equitable travel policies to maintain trust between staff and leadership.
As the airport reviews its policies, stakeholders await changes to ensure responsible use of revenues derived from public-facing operations like concessions and rentals.
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DENVER — The City of Denver has been trying to bring more people downtown. On Monday, it turned to live music.
Thousands packed a revamped 16th Street for a “block party” EDM concert at 16th and Welton, headlined by house DJ and producer FISHER.
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Justin Wercinski told Denver7 he got to the front of the line 10 hours early for his favorite DJ. He grew up in North Denver and recently moved to Florida.
“I’ve lived here for 27 years, you know, Red Rocks in our back door,” he said. “Being able to go to Red Rocks all the time, but now bringing [an outdoor concert] to the actual city… I think it’s super special and pretty cool. I hope Denver keeps doing it.”
Eddie Burns, from Boulder, and Daniel Long, from Longmont, were also near the front of the line and shared the same feeling.
“A concert like here with big buildings, it’s super cool,” said Long. “We’re gonna just walk to a bar after. It’s like, super easy.”
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That’s good news for bars steps away from the stage, like 3 Margaritas on 16th Street.
“It’s very good for us, for our business, because we hope to have a lot of guests,” said manager Martinez Huitron. “We wait a long, a long, long time to having this here now.”
Consumed by construction for two years, Denverites got used to 16th Street being lifeless. The stretch formerly known as the 16th Street Mall is going through a rebrand.
“It’s kind of a mess, but you know, I mean, it desperately needed it,” Christoval Vega, who lives downtown, said of the rebrand.
Denver
Outdoor drinking zones coming to 16th Street in downtown Denver
Vega told Denver7 he’s happy to see the center of the city pulsing with activity again, and supports more block party-style concerts.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said.
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The Downtown Denver Partnership said Monday’s event was sold out, with about 5,000 people expected to attend. Tickets cost roughly $110, including fees.
The same stretch is hosting a 16th Street Summer Kickoff Celebration on Saturday and Sunday, including the Speed Climbing World Cup, music, art, food vendors, and a beer garden.
The city hopes these events at the start of the season will bring more people and dollars back during key summer months.
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