DENVER -- Reliever Victor Vodnik had a close-up view as his well-executed, 99.7 mph ninth-inning fastball -- one that should have salted away a Colorado victory -- turned into another edition of the Rockies horror show of 2025.
Vodnik, in his second full year, and rookie righty reliever Zach Agnos walked away from the 6-5 loss to the Giants with learning experiences that neither particularly wanted.
Vodnik thought he’d made the pitch that would let the Rockies escape a rough ninth inning with a one-run victory. But the squibbler off the bat of the Giants’ Wilmer Flores -- minus-72 degrees in launch angle -- seemingly sought out an uncovered infield green.
The plodding Flores -- according to Statcast, in the third percentile in terms of sprint speed -- beat Vodnik’s throw to first base, the tying run scored. Gone was the Rockies’ three-run, ninth-inning lead.
“My thought was just, honestly, ‘Dammit, I wanted to get the out,’” Vodnik said. “It just didn’t go our way.”
Then Vodnik absorbed more soft-content heartbreak, when pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski pulled a single into right field to give the Giants their victory.
Thus ended the 11th game in the club’s last 14 that was decided by two or fewer runs. But what good is close?
The Rockies dropped to 12-54, which tied them with the 1904 Washington Senators and the 1932 Red Sox for the worst start through 66 decisions in this sport’s Modern Era (since 1900).
“We’ve had a lot of this this year,” Vodnik said. “Really annoying. But, yeah, that’s part of it.”
Agnos absorbed even bigger heartbreak.
This one seemed headed for a happy Rockies ending. Home runs by Ryan McMahon in the fourth inning and Kyle Farmer in the fifth, plus a two-run eighth -- significant for an offensively challenged team -- handed Agnos a 5-2 lead. Plus, rookie starter Carson Palmquist threw 97 pitches over four-plus innings but left with a 2-2 tie, and Jake Bird (1.41 ERA), Tyler Kinley and Seth Halvorsen led a solid bullpen effort before the ninth.
Casey Schmitt opened the ninth with his first homer of the season on a first-pitch fastball that was slightly above the top of the zone. Then Agnos walked three batters while managing just one out. The out -- Jung Hoo Lee’s bouncer to McMahon with runners at first and second -- left McMahon able to step on third for the force but unable to beat Lee with the throw for a double play.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Agnos said. “I hold myself to a higher standard, pride myself on not walking guys, and filling up the zone. And I just didn’t get the job done tonight. It’s embarrassing. Vodnik came in. I had all the faith in the world that he’d pick me up, because he has a great arm.”
Vodnik seemed close to escaping, with Heliot Ramos’ sacrifice fly making it a one-run game. But Flores and Yastrzemski delivered soft-contact knockout blows.
Vodnik and Agnos are part of a youth-oriented bullpen that has often been a bright spot. But because of the roster’s other holes, there haven’t been many leads to protect.
“You can say it’s a young team developing,” said interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who is all-in with the youth movement and the teaching and accountability necessary to lead it. “Or you could say we just lost the game.”
On multiple occasions since taking over on May 12, Schaeffer said that the only way to make this rough record make sense is to develop along the way. None of that makes nights like Tuesday and so many others satisfying.
“This is a question I’m getting often with the losses and the one-run losses,” Schaeffer said. “We want to win ballgames. That’s plain and simple. I mean, every loss hurts -- every single one. We just need to remember these losses moving forward, learn from them and get better.”