Rockies lose to Astros on Christian Walker's solo homer

Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post on Aug 28, 2025

Published in Baseball

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The Rockies’ margin for error is thin. On the road, it’s even thinner. Thursday afternoon, it was one-pitch thin.

Christian Walker’s leadoff homer in the eighth inning lifted the Astros to a 4-3 victory at Daikin Park. Walker tattooed a first-pitch fastball from reliever Luis Peralta 404 feet to left field, the ball sizzling off his bat at 107 mph. It was Walker’s second homer of the game.

The Rockies stumbled home from their six-game road trip with a 1-5 record, leaving them at 17-51 away from Coors Field and on pace to finish 20-61 on the road, which would be the worst mark in franchise history.

Thursday’s loss was tough to stomach because the Rockies blew multiple chances to win the game and clinch their first series win in Houston since 2011. But they hit just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, negating a chance for a comeback victory.

Lack of execution cost Colorado in the seventh inning.

With the game tied 3-3, pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer and leadoff hitter Tyler Freeman drew back-to-back walks off reliever Steven Okert. But Mickey Moniak failed to get a bunt down and move the runners into scoring position. With two strikes, Moniak got an unplanned swinging bunt, but Houston catcher Cesar Salazar pounced on the ball and forced Farmer out at third. The Rockies loaded the bases with two outs when Jordan Beck reached first on catcher’s interference, but reliever Kaleb Ort struck out Brenton Doyle, ending the would-be rally.

The Rockies scratched back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings off right-hander Jason Alexander, who dominated early in the game, striking out five in the first two innings.

Moniak’s bases-loaded groundout scored Braxton Fulford in the third. In the fourth, Ezequiel Tovar broke out of a 1-for-19 funk with a solo homer, Tovar’s eighth long ball of the season. Yanquiel Fernandez tied the game in the fifth with a solo home run to right, his second this season.

Kyle Freeland pitched well enough for the Rockies to win. The veteran lefty rallied from a ragged first two innings to give Colorado a quality start. Over six innings, he allowed three runs on eight hits, walked none and struck out six. He retired the last seven hitters he faced.

Freeland’s afternoon started with a rough first inning. He served up back-to-back, two-out solo homers to Jose Altuve and Walker to the shortest points in the outfield. Altuve pulled Freeland’s 1-2 fastball into the Crawford Boxes in left field. Walker lofted Freeland’s 3-2 pitch down the right-field line, just inside the foul pole.

Houston expanded its lead to 3-0 in the second. One-out singles by Mauricio Dubon and Chas McCormick got Freeland in trouble. Salazar capitalized, laying down a bunt single that Freeland threw into right field for an error, allowing Dubon to score.

The Rockies open a 10-day, nine-game homestand on Friday night, hosting the Cubs.