DENVER — The Colorado Rockies ended a dubious streak by recording a zero.
Rookie right-hander Tanner Gordon pitched six scoreless innings and Ezequiel Tovar hit a home run to help the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 on Wednesday and win back-to-back series for the first time since Sept. 13-18, 2024.
“I did not know that. ... That's a long time without a shutout,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “But I'm glad we shut them out today. That was good behind Gordon. Gordon did a fantastic job.”
Colorado is the only major league team since at least 1901 to go more than 200 games without a shutout victory, according to Stathead and Baseball Reference.
The last shutout for the Rockies had been 8-0 at San Diego in their only one last season. Their previous one at home was 2-0 over the Athletics on July 30, 2023.
Gordon (2-2) scattered four hits while striking out three and walking three to become the first Rockies rookie since Kyle Freeman in 2017 to pitch at least six scoreless innings in a game at Coors Field. Freeman did it twice that season, with one-hit ball over 8 1/3 innings of a 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on July 9, after going seven innings in an 8-0 victory over San Francisco on April 23.
The Rockies hit five consecutive singles in their four-run second inning off St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (5-7) and Jordan Beck added an RBI double in the fifth to make it 5-0. Tovar's solo shot in the eighth capped the scoring.
The Rockies (26-76) have won consecutive series for the first time this season, taking two of three games from the Cardinals after coming out of the All-Star break by winning two of three against Minnesota last weekend.
“Extremely important,” Colorado catcher Austin Nola said. “One game at a time. And I think that’s the biggest thing, is sticking to the plan, being in the present. And then at the end of the day we’re going to come out on top.”
Last month, Colorado ended an MLB-record streak of 22 consecutive series losses, dating to last year, with a 3-2 victory at Miami.
Key moment
Ryan McMahon drew a leadoff walk and, after Tovar flied out, Austin Nola, Kyle Farmer, Adael Amador, Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak hit five consecutive singles to give the Rockies a 4-0 lead in the second.
Key stat
Colorado, which was an MLB-worst 22-74 at the All-Star break, is 4-2 since their return. The Rockies have won as many series since the break (two) as they did prior to it.
Up next
Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) is set to pitch for St. Louis on Thursday against Yu Darvish (0-2, 6.08) in the first of four games against San Diego. Kyle Freeland (2-10, 5.19) takes the mound Friday for Colorado against the Baltimore Orioles, who haven't announced a starter.
