Lazaro Montes launched a go-ahead solo home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, giving our M’s a gritty 5-4 victory they absolutely *scraped* out. This wasn’t pretty, Emerald City, but a win is a win, especially when you’re battling in Denver. We somehow escaped with the W despite letting the Rockies pepper us for 15 hits. Talk about a heart-stopper.
Early Fireworks, Then The Lead Went Poof!
The M’s offense came out hot, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead that felt like we were back in Sacramento. J.P. Crawford wasted no time, cracking a solo shot in the very first at-bat of the game off the oft-injured Rockies RHP Gabriel Hughes. Randy Arozarena started his three-hit night with a double, and Dominic Canzone copied him with a double of his own. It looked like we were off to the races! But just like that, our 3-0 lead vanished. Arozarena had a sub-optimal read off the bat, and then a 2-RBI single from an uncredited bat snuck through with two outs. We know this team can hit, but giving up leads like that after setting them up feels all too familiar.
Stars Struggled, Woo Battled, and The Infield… Yikes.
While Montes delivered the heroics, our big bats, Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez, had a rough night. Cal’s eight-pitch punchout came after he missed two center-cut fastballs and then waved at a middle-middle slider. He’s been looking closer to his better self the past month and a half, so that was tough to watch. Julio’s strikeout was also three missed pitches in the zone: two foul balls on bottom third sliders before staring at a fastball for strike three. That kind of frustration is mostly new to his 2026 season. On the defensive side, our infield was a mess, shuffling J.P. Crawford and Cole Young around and showcasing our league-worst range. That put Bryan Woo in a tough spot, but he battled through 5.1 frames, giving up just three earned runs and wriggling out of danger time and time again. Still, Gabe Speier regrettably yielded the lead to Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy on a clobbered gap-shot triple and an RBI single. Our bullpen deserves credit for holding on after that, though.
Rox Gifted It, Montes Seized It!
Let’s be real, the Rockies really tried to give this one away. They might be a plucky club this year, with more verve than their catastrophic 2025 season, but they’re still likely headed for 100 losses again this season, making it four straight campaigns. Tonight showed you why: eight of their nine starters secured at least one hit, but they left a whopping 12 runners on base and went 4-for-20 with runners in scoring position. They kept letting Woo off the hook! And then, our boy Lazaro Montes stepped up to the plate in the ninth and crushed that solo shot, making sure all those missed opportunities finally caught up to Colorado.
The M’s get another shot at the Rox in this series. We desperately need to tighten up that infield defense and get our star hitters clicking consistently, because you can’t always rely on a ninth-inning bomb to bail you out. But for tonight, we’ll take the win and savor Montes’ clutch heroics!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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