Rockies complete miraculous comeback victory after trailing Pirates by nine runs twice

03 Aug 2025 By foxnews

The Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates played the wildest game of the season on Friday at Coors Field.

The Rockies, after being down 9-0 after the top of the first inning, came back to walk the Pirates off, 17-16.

The Pirates' lineup teed off on the Rockies' starting pitcher, Antonio Senzatela, as they scored eight runs on him while only recording two outs. Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz delivered the big blow, as he hit a grand slam to make it 5-0.

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Rockies relief pitcher Carson Palmquist relieved Senzatela and gave up a three-run home run to Andrew McCutchen on the first batter he saw, to make it 9-0 Pirates after the top of the first inning.

However, the Rockies started to chip away, as they scored one run in the first inning and three runs in the third inning to make it 9-4. The Pirates padded their lead in the top of the fourth inning with three runs to make it 12-4.

But the Rockies refused to go away, as they scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 12-6. The Pirates scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to make it 15-6, but the Rockies responded with another four runs of their own to make it 15-10 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Pirates tacked on one more run in the top of the sixth inning to make it 16-10. The score held there until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Rockies scored two runs to cut it to 16-12.

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The Rockies began their ninth-inning comeback when catcher Hunter Goodman hit a solo home run off of Pirates' relief pitcher Dennis Santana to make it 16-13. Left fielder Jordan Beck followed Goodman's home run with a walk.

Rockies first baseman Warming Bernabel hit a triple, scoring Beck to cut the lead to 16-14. Second baseman Thairo Estrada singled after Bernabel's triple to score him to make it 16-15.

With Estrada as the tying run on base, center fielder Brenton Doyle cranked a two-run home run to make it 17-16 and walk the Pirates off.

"Honestly, pretty speechless," Doyle told reporters after the game. "It's hard to put into words. Just so proud of everyone in this clubhouse, never giving up. Man, what a win."

According to Elias Sports Bureau and MLB.com, the Rockies were the first team to win after giving up nine runs in the first inning since the then Cleveland Indians did it in a 15-13, 10-inning triumph over the Kansas City Royals in 2006. Cleveland trailed that game 10-1 after one inning.

The three other occasions in which a team won a game after allowing at least nine runs in the first inning came way back in 1884, 1896 and 1913.

"Getting down nine in the first, it's tough to come back from, but we kept the energy high," Doyle said. "We kept the fight in us. Oh my God, what a game."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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