Denny Baxter, a Colorado resident since 2013, didn’t miss the opportunity to watch his team, the Los Angeles Angels, at Coors Field for the first time since May of 2018. The Angels played in Colorado in 2020 but without fans.
The American League team rewarded his patience, handing the Rockies a historic 25-1 loss Saturday night at 20th and Blake street. It was the worst defeat in team history.
The Angels set franchise records with 25 runs and 28 hits, topping previous bests of 24 and 26 respectively.
Things began to unravel for the Rockies in the third inning when starting pitcher Chase Anderson allowed three consecutive home runs on three consecutive pitches to center field Mike Trout, second baseman Brandon Drury and catcher Matt Thaiss. Left Field Taylor Ward and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani would add a pair of RBIs before manager Bud Black pulled Anderson for Matt Carasiti.
“It might have been the biggest inning I’ve ever seen in my life,” Baxter said, “It was amazing, back-to-back-to-back. It doesn’t get better than that…I’m going to rewatch this game for sure and I hope I hear my voice because I was screaming my boys on. I was loud.”
The Angels didn’t slow down adding eight more runs in the inning, including a two-run home run from right field Mickey Monjak. Saturday marked the third time in Angels’ history that the team had scored 13 runs in an inning.
“Three’s too many balls from the mid thigh to the belt,” Rockies manager Bud Black said regarding Anderson’s performance. “His style of pitching there’s gotta be balls at the knees, there’s gotta be fastballs at the top of the zone. You gotta move the ball in and out. It’s just too many balls in the middle.”
The Rockies set a franchise record Saturday for most runs allowed in a single inning with the 13-run third inning.
The fourth inning wasn’t much better for Colorado. Los Angles added eight more runs with Drury, Thaiss, first baseman Hunter Renfroe and Monjak all recording RBIs. Shortstop David Fletcher capped the inning with a three-run homer to left field.
Game analysis and insights from The Gazette sports staff including columns by Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
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The 23 runs the Angels scored by the fifth inning are the most allowed in the previous 50 seasons of baseball, according to Major League Baseball.
Despite the box score, it was a lackluster outing for Ohtani who went 1-7 at the plate.
The Rockies staved off the shut out loss with a solo home run from center field Brenton Doyle in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Prior to Saturday, the Rockies largest margin of defeat was 19 runs. The result was a 26-7 loss to the Cubs Aug. 18, 1995. However, the Rockies remained focused on the future despite Saturday’s record-setting defeat.
“I don’t think about records,” Black said postgame. “It’s one game. It’s one game.”
Doyle echoed his coaches thoughts.
“We won’t have a shut out tonight but a tough loss,” Doyle said. “The beauty of this game is we get to do it again tomorrow and get a chance to win a series tomorrow and win the series and this game tonight can get put in the past with a big series win going into the Dodgers.”
The Rockies backed up their commitment to the future with action Saturday, trading infielder Mike Moustakas to the Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher minor-league pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc minutes after the conclusion of the game.
