Rockies set franchise record with 23 runs against A's

LAS VEGAS -- The Colorado Rockies scored a franchise-record 23 runs in their victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. The game started poorly for the Rockies as pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano allowed four runs in the first inning and eight across five frames. Despite the shaky start, Colorado's powerful offense responded dramatically, ultimately winning the game 23-9.

This marked the first time in franchise history that the Rockies had scored 23 runs in a single game, breaking the previous record of 20 runs, which had been achieved on four occasions, the latest being on July 24, 2024, against the Boston Red Sox. The team also set a season-high with six home runs and recorded 24 hits, along with five walks in the game.

Key contributions came from Hunter Goodman, who went 5-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs, and Willi Castro, who had a stellar performance with four hits, including two homers and seven RBIs. Castro, now an eight-year veteran, had never recorded more than three RBIs in a single game prior to this historic outing. Overall, seven Rockies players recorded multiple hits, while six players had multiple RBIs in this offensive showcase.

Interestingly, despite his performance, Sugano earned his seventh win of the season. The Rockies, who had struggled with only 15 hits in their previous two games against the A's, demonstrated resilience by leveraging a high-scoring strategy effectively.

Manager Warren Schaeffer commented on the outlier nature of such a game, stating, "I don’t ever foresee a game like this. But I always feel like something good is going to happen when our team takes the field." He expressed optimism, highlighting the progression of the team's offense as the season has progressed.

One of the standout moments was Castro's eighth-inning grand slam, which solidified the record. He hit a powerful curveball from Scott Barlow, achieving an exit velocity of 104.5 mph. Additionally, Goodman became the first Rockies player since Nolan Arenado in 2016 to reach more than 20 home runs within the team's first 72 games.

"It was awesome [to create franchise history]," Goodman said. "Our at-bats today were really good. I thought we fought and when they made mistakes, we took advantage of them. Hopefully we can take that momentum into Chicago."

Goodman’s initial two-run home run gave the Rockies an early lead in the first inning, followed by his second home run that soared over the left-field wall. As the Rockies prepare for their upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, they aim to build on this victory.

"Wins are fun around here," Schaeffer noted. "We make them fun because it’s hard to win a game in the big leagues. ... The boys came prepared to play today, and they did a great job."