The Colorado Rockies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates by a 3-2 final on Friday night (box score) behind a strong showing from starter Cal Quantril and a three-run sixth inning. Of historic note, it was the first time this season the Rockies had played a game in which they did not trail at any point, snapping their streak at 31 contests.
"I'll sleep a little better because I haven't been sleeping well at all," Rockies manager Bud Black joked with reporters after the game. "Really, it's been awful."
The Rockies' 31-game stretch set a new modern record to begin a season. Previously, that distinction belonged to the 1910 St. Louis Browns, who trailed in each of their first 28 games. Those Browns, for anyone wondering, finished the season with a 47-107-4 record. (And yes, ties used to be part of the baseball experience.)
While the Rockies are unlikely to notch any ties, it's to be seen how many more contests they win than the Browns. Friday's win improved their record to 8-24 on the year, which was good for the second worst mark in baseball ahead of the Chicago White Sox. Should the Rockies finish with fewer than 50 wins, they would become the seventh team (min. 150 games) to accomplish that indignity since integration:
- 1962 New York Mets, 40-120-1
- 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates, 42-112-1
- 2003 Detroit Tigers, 43-119
- 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, 47-107-1
- 2019 Detroit Tigers, 47-114
- 2018 Baltimore Orioles, 47-115
Even playing .500 ball from this point forward would result in just 73 wins overall. The Rockies, then, would appear to be a strong candidate to lose 100 or more games for the second time in franchise history, with their first such season occurring last year.
The Rockies and Pirates will continue their weekend series on Saturday. Another Colorado win would give the Rockies consecutive victories for the first time this season.
