The new Rockies performed like the old Rockies in Friday night’s season opener in Miami.
Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland walks from the mound after being relieved during the fifth inning of Friday’s season opener against the Miami Marlins in Miami. They lost 2-1 to the Marlins at loanDepot Park, failing to get the big hit in the big moment.
Déjà vu anyone? Case in point: In the eighth, with Kyle Karros at third and Hunter Goodman at first, new second baseman Willi Castro whiffed on reliever Anthony Bender’s 3-2 sweeper. Castro went 0 for 4 with two Ks in his Rockies’ debut. Shades of 2025’s road woes lingered against veteran right-hander Sandy Alcantara. He pitched seven effective innings and needed only 73 pitches to muffle the Rockies’ bats. Alcantra gave up one unearned run on seven hits, struck out five, and walked two. “He was good, he was putting pitches where he wanted to, down in the zone,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Miami. “I think we came out aggressive. In that fourth inning, when we had him on the ropes a little bit, we took some pitches, got deeper into the count, and made him work a little bit. But he ended up wiggling out of it. He’s good. He was good tonight.” During spring training, Schaeffer promised that the Rockies would run — and play small ball on the road — whenever the offense needed a jumpstart. Colorado did that with mixed results in the opener. Jordan Beck was thrown out trying to steal in the seventh, and Jake McCarthy was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second in the fourth. Veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, beginning his 10th season and making his fifth opening day start, gave the Rockies 4 1/3 serviceable innings. Bottom line: he kept Colorado in the game. Miami rapped him for two runs on five hits, taking advantage of two missed curveballs. Freeland walked two and struck out two. “I thought ‘Free’ pitched very well, especially on opening night,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he attacked the strike zone and got ahead. Fastballs, curveballs, but just two mistakes over the plate that he would like to have back.” Freeland weathered a rocky second inning when the Marlins took a 2-0 lead. Xavier Edwards’ one-out single, followed by an RBI double by Owen Caissie, and an RBI single by Javier Sanoja did the damage. Colorado cobbled together its run in the fourth to cut Miami’s lead to 2-1. It could have been a bigger inning, but it fizzled with two missed opportunities. McCarthy, the new left fielder, led off with a bunt single and stole second. Hunter Goodman singled to right, and McCarthy, one of the fastest players in baseball, attempted to score from second. But McCarthy was erased at the plate on a perfect throw to the plate from Austin Slater.Meet Walker Monfort, the Rockies heir charged with resurrecting Colorado’s flailing MLB franchiseColorado Rockies’ top 10 most intriguing prospects to watch in 2026“I’m never going to question Andy on that play over there, at all, ” Schaeffer said, referring to third-base coach Andy González, who sent McCarthy without hesitation. “You have Jake McCarthy’s speed, you try to score a lot on that ball.” Colorado Rockies' Willi Castro is congratulated after scoring on a single hit by Jordan Beck during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Miami. Still, the Rockies rallied to load the bases, and Beck’s two-out, infield single to short scored Castro. But, with the bases still loaded, Alcantara struck out Brenton Doyle to end the inning. Doyle was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Colorado’s bullpen, which on paper is the team’s strength, blanked Miami for 3 2/3 innings. Right-hander Juan Mejia pitched two impressive innings. “I thought the pen was fantastic,” Schaeffer said. “We are stressing multiple innings with these guys, and to get 11 outs on 42 pitches from Juan and Jimmy , that’s very special. That’s very, very good.”Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen at Marlins RHP Eury Pérez , 2:10 p.m.Rockies LHP Jose Quintana at Marlins RHP Max Meyer , 11:40 a.m.Denver's 97-year-old City Park bandstand 'a total loss' after overnight fireThe big melt: A look at Colorado ski resort closing dates as some areas shut down earlySheridan School District teachers plan to go on strike next weekNuggets' Nikola Jokic evaluates his season as 'inconsistent' as MVP hopes fade Cherry Creek Schools investigation targets $3 million in contracts with education firm, international travel
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