Judge adds a home run to his total in Yankees’ historically rare loss to Rockies

 DENVER — As the Yankees wrapped up their series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday night, the NBA’s Pacers were trending on social media after their Game 2 win over the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

What surprised many, however, was that the Rockies were trending too.

Despite entering the game with a dismal 8-42 record—the worst 50-game start in the Modern Era—the Rockies captured the spotlight online. Their 3-2 upset victory over the AL East-leading Yankees left New York sports fans, already reeling from the Knicks’ playoff struggles, even more deflated.

Upsets happen in baseball, but this one was extraordinary. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this loss ranks tied for the second-largest winning percentage gap in a defeat at least 50 games into a season during the Expansion Era. The Rockies came in with a .160 winning percentage, while the Yankees boasted .612.

The Yankees arrived in Denver riding high after sweeping the Rangers in the Bronx and winning 11 of their last 14 games. Yet, a day later, their bats went silent in the hitter-friendly Coors Field, leaving them grounded.

“They beat us tonight,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We made the plays and had chances, but we just didn’t get the big hit.”

Aaron Judge was 2-for-4, including a solo homer in the fifth that briefly gave New York a 2-1 lead. It was Judge’s first home run at Coors Field after missing last year’s series there due to injury and only having played at the ballpark previously during the 2021 All-Star Game. His 17th homer of the season tied him for the Major League lead.

Beyond Judge’s homer and Paul Goldschmidt’s RBI triple in the first inning, the Yankees managed only five singles. The Rockies’ pitching, led by 27-year-old Tanner Gordon—a late call-up from Triple-A Albuquerque—kept New York’s lineup off balance. Gordon, who stepped in for the injured Chase Dollander, had a rough stint in the minors but stifled the Yankees effectively in his spot start.

“Who was their starter?” catcher Austin Wells asked after the game. “We hit some balls hard, but they just didn’t go our way.”

One such hard-hit ball was Wells’ grounder in the fourth inning with two on and no outs, which turned into a slick 4-6-3 double play started by second baseman Adael Amador. Wells was also at bat in the ninth with the tying run on second and two outs, but his soft liner to shortstop ended the game.

Starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt battled through 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight. Reliever Tim Hill took over in the fifth but gave up the go-ahead double to Ryan McMahon.

Schmidt didn’t hide his frustration after losing to a struggling Rockies team. “Anytime you lose, we’re pissed off,” he said. “We’re not trying to lose. It shows here. Everyone’s pissed off. You play 162 games—you’re going to have nights like this where you don’t get the job done. But yeah, it definitely pisses you off.”

Boone remained calm in the aftermath. “Our focus was good, our conversations were right,” he said. “We just didn’t get that big hit to break open an inning. But it’s going to happen.”

After all, it’s just one game in a long season.