For the Rockies, Friday begins the final push before the break accompanying this year’s MLB All-Star Game.
It’s also a stretch that is filled with possibilities, potential and possibly pitfalls.
When the San Francisco Giants arrive at Coors Field to kick off a three-game series Friday night, it starts a 10-game stretch against National League West foes to finish up the unofficial first half of the 2026 season. Following three games with the Giants, Colorado heads to Chavez Ravine to face the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games before heading north to San Francisco to visit the Giants for a four-game series that will cap the first half.
Colorado Rockies catcher Brett Sullivan, left, congratulates relief pitcher Zach Agnos after defeating the Miami Marlins in a baseball game Thursday in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Dodgers? Well, heading into Thursday, they were an MLB-best 24-11 since May 24 and the Rockies know well what a buzz-saw Dodger Stadium can be, losing their three games there in late May by a combined 24-10 score.
San Francisco, however, poses a potential opportunity for the Rockies. The Giants finished June with a 12-14 mark, just one game better than Colorado’s 11-15 record. Heading into Friday, the Giants are also just two games ahead of the Rockies in the division standings.
Colorado enters these final 10 games of the first half with a 7-17 mark against their NL West foes, but is 2-1 against the Giants, taking a three-game series at Coors Field to finish off May.
So is this an opportunity to move up in the standings? A chance to head into the second half with momentum? Perhaps, but Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer isn’t ready to put any stock into those theories.
“We have (Thursday), we have (Ryan) Gusto and the Marlins. (Friday) we have (Logan) Webb and the Giants, always a tough matchup and we’re going to do everything we can to win that ballgame,” Schaeffer said before Colorado posted a 14-4 win over Miami. “The next day, we have Robbie Ray and we’re going to do everything we can to win that ballgame.”
Colorado Rockies second baseman Edouard Julien, left, pulls in a fly ball off the bat of Miami Marlins’ Otto Lopez as Colorado center fielder Cole Carrigg covers in the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Schaeffer is very much focused on what is directly ahead of his team rather than looking ahead to future series or stretches on the season. He doesn’t buy into any talk of a “measuring stick” opponent for his team, whether it’s the world champion Dodgers or the Marlins, who entered Thursday with a 20-7 record since June 1.
“Good for the Marlins,” Schaeffer said when asked about Miami’s recent run. “We know that can happen in the big leagues to anybody. It can happen to us.
“Inspiration? Like we want to be like them? No, we want to be the Rockies and the Rockies can absolutely do that.”
Schaeffer followed those thoughts by saying, “We’re on the path to playing better baseball every single day, so don’t count us out.”
The Rockies have played better baseball this year, and there are numerous statistics to back that up. One big statistic that will serve Colorado well ahead of the All-Star break is that this year’s team is averaging 4.7 runs on the road. The Rockies haven’t averaged more than four runs on the road since the COVID regulations-shortened season of 2020 and more than 4.5 since 2007, a magical season in franchise history.
Whether the Rockies can make up ground in the standings over the next 10 games remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the Rockies have an opportunity to reinforce the progress Schaeffer believes his club has made. A strong finish to the first half against familiar division opponents would provide tangible evidence that Colorado is headed in the right direction.
If the Rockies can continue to score on the road and carry that offensive production into a challenging stretch against the Giants and Dodgers, they’ll enter the All-Star break with something that has been difficult to find in recent seasons — momentum and optimism for the second half.
Rockies 14, Marlins 4
What happened: Colorado sent 11 men to the plate in a seven-run sixth inning to break the game wide open and gain a four-game split with Miami. The Rockies improved to 35-53 on the season, winning their 35th game July 2. Last year, Colorado didn’t win its 35th game until Aug. 17.
On the mound: During his 4 1/3 innings on the mound, Michael Lorenzen tied a career high by issuing six walks (something he last did May 31, 2015) and continued to struggle pitching at Coors Field. In 41 2/3 innings in Denver this year, Lorenzen has an 8.21 ERA. Outside of Denver, Lorenzen has a 5.68 ERA.
At the plate: Every Rockies starter reached base safely, including Mickey Moniak, who went 3 for 5 and finished one hit (triple) short of the cycle for the second consecutive game. Batting leadoff, Jake McCarthy went 2 for 4 and paced Colorado with four RBIs.
What’s next: Colorado opens a three-game home series against San Francisco at 6:10 p.m. Friday by sending Ryan Feltner (2-2, 4.42 ERA) to the mound. The Giants will counter with Logan Webb (5-5, 3.09).