The Colorado Rockies have scored just four runs and struck out a mind-blowing 24 times in their first two games at Yankee Stadium, staring down a brutal sweep tonight after losing the opener 5-3 and then Game 2 by a 6-1 score. The team is sitting at a rough 55-90 record, and they desperately need to salvage something against the 83-62 Yankees before heading to Detroit. It’s tough out there, but at least the Patriots blew it against our Seahawks, right? Always gotta find that silver lining.
Feltner’s Fickle Fastball and a Secret Weapon
Tonight, the Rockies hand the ball to Ryan Feltner for his 22nd start in what has been a seriously tough season. His 5-9 record, 5.91 ERA, and 1.58 WHIP over 106.2 innings don’t exactly inspire confidence, you know? Feltner leans heavily on his four-seam fastball, then mixes it up with secondary pitches. He’ll hit lefties with a slider and changeup, while righties see a slider, sinker, and sweeper. The numbers against him are rough on both sides, with lefties batting .293/.378/.507 and righties at .275/.326/.522. But here’s the wild card: his changeup. That pitch is actually his best, accounting for 41 of his 81 strikeouts, including all five in his last start against St. Louis. He throws it a lot more to lefties (28% of the time) than righties (just 6%). Against a lefty-heavy Yankees lineup, Feltner *might* just have a path if he can get ahead and let that changeup be his finisher. It’s a long shot, but hey, it’s something.
Max Fried: The Wall Colorado Can’t Climb
If Feltner has a glimmer of hope, the Rockies’ offense is facing an absolute brick wall in Max Fried. After struggling against Cam Schlittler and Will Warren in the first two games, they get the lefty Fried, who’s pitching lights out. He’s 4-4 with a 2.73 ERA and a ridiculously low 0.99 WHIP on the season. But get this: since coming back from injury in July, he’s been even better, putting up a 1.85 ERA across 34.0 innings with 37 strikeouts. Fried’s got a deep bag of tricks, using his sinker against lefties, and then a full buffet of cutters, four-seamers, changeups, curveballs, sinkers, and sweepers against righties. Unlike Feltner, Fried absolutely owns hitters from both sides: lefties are hitting a pathetic .152/.218/.177 against him, and righties aren’t much better at .213/.280/.292. The Rockies are trotting out seven right-handed batters, but seriously, does it even matter? Aaron Judge, who was just back from the injured list, isn’t in the lineup tonight, and while the Yankees are way better with him (38-22 vs. 45-40 without him), it still feels like a massive mountain to climb.
This game, kicking off at 5:05 p.m. MDT, is all about whether Feltner’s changeup can somehow carry the load and if the Rockies offense can find *any* way to crack Fried. Good luck, Colorado, you’re gonna need it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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