September 1st 2024.
The Rockies had a tough time figuring out Zach Eflin on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field. For six innings, they were completely stumped by the Baltimore right-hander's dominant pitching. It wasn't until later in the game that they finally started to get a sense of how to approach him, but by then it was too late. The Orioles ultimately claimed a 6-1 victory, solidifying their win in the three-game series.
Fortunately for Rockies fans, the game was over in a relatively short 2 hours and 22 minutes. Eflin, who had just returned from the injured list due to shoulder inflammation, was in top form. He held the Rockies to just one run on four hits over seven innings, striking out nine batters and only walking one.
Meanwhile, there were some notable performances from the Rockies as well. Right fielder Jake Cave broke up Eflin's perfect game with a single in the sixth inning, and the team was able to score one run in the seventh thanks to singles from Brenton Doyle, Michael Toglia, and Nolan Jones.
On the other hand, Rockies left-hander Ty Blach had a rough outing in contrast to Eflin's dominance. Blach was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Cal Quantrill, who was placed on the injured list with triceps inflammation. Blach struggled to keep the leadoff hitter from reaching base in three of his four innings. The Orioles were able to take advantage of this, with Austin Slater scoring on Gunnar Henderson's single in the first inning.
In the second inning, Blach hit Coby Mayo with a pitch but managed to escape without any runs being scored. He had a solid third inning, but things fell apart in the fourth. Blach walked Eloy Jimenez and then gave up a single to Mayo. Things got even worse when a routine pop-up to second baseman Brendan Rodgers was lost in the sun, allowing two runs to score. The Orioles extended their lead to 5-0 with a two-run homer from James McCann.
Blach, who has struggled with a 6.65 ERA this season, was ultimately charged with the loss. Despite this, there were some shining moments for the Rockies, such as Ryan McMahon's impressive play in the seventh inning where he expertly fielded a ground ball and threw to first base for the out.
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