Astros slam Rockies' Chase Dollander, hang on for 6-5 win

Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post on Jul 1, 2025

Published in Baseball

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DENVER — Chase Dollander got slammed, and the Rockies never quite recovered, despite a two-homer game from catcher Hunter Goodman.

And so the season-long Rox slide continued Tuesday night at Coors Field in front of an announced crowd of 30,303. The Astros won, 6-5, leaving Colorado with a 19-66 record.

Dollander, who had been pitching well of late, gave up a grand slam to Houston designated hitter Victor Caratini in the Astros’ five-run third inning that gave them a 6-1 lead. Colorado’s bullpen blanked Houston the rest of the way, but the damage had been done.

Home has been far from sweet for the Rockies, who are 8-33 at Coors, where they have been outscored 305-167.

The game got off to a stellar start for Colorado. Goodman, back in the lineup after missing four games because of tightness in his hamstring, crushed a first-pitch 91.7-mph fastball from Houston starter Colton Gordon to deep center. Goodman’s 15th homer of the season, measured at 431 feet, put the Rockies ahead, 1-0, in the first.

Goodman hit his 16th homer in the ninth, crushing closer Josh Hader’s first-pitch sinker 443 feet to left center, cutting Houston’s lead to 6-5. Brenton Doyle followed with a single, but Hader struck out Thairo Estrada and Brenton Doyle to shut the door. It was Hader’s 24th save.

The Rockies outhit Houston, 12-9, and Jordan Beck had a career-high five hits. It wasn’t enough, in part because the Rockies were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

Colorado scored one run in the third on Estrada’s sacrifice fly, one run in the fourth on Tyler Freeman’s RBI double, and another run in the fifth on Doyle’s infield grounder down the first base line, scoring Beck, who led off with a double.

Dollander’s lack of pitch command and his throwing error doomed him in the Astros’ five-run third. Maurico Dubon lined a one-out single to right and Issac Paredes drew a walk. Dollander’s wild pickoff throw to second allowed Dubon to take third. Dubon scored on Jake Meyers’ groundout.

Then Dollander walked Jose Altuve and gave up a single to Cam Smith, loading the bases for Caratini, who hit Dollander’s 1-2 curveball 413 feet to right.

Dollander, who is supposed to be Colorado’s ace of the future, continues to be hurt by homers. Carantini’s grand slam was the 15th home run Dollander has allowed in his 14 starts. Dollander entered the night giving up 2.73 home runs per nine innings, the highest rate in the majors. Also, his 16.06 base runners allowed per nine ranked as the third highest.

Dollander was gone after a mere 2 2/3 innings, the shortest start of his infant career. He was charged with six runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one, and his ERA climbed to 6.65.

Caratini’s grand slam was the third of his career and his first since May 12, 2021, also at Coors Field when he played for San Diego.