Rockies Stage Epic Comeback, Walk Off Pirates 17-16 After Nine-Run Deficit
DENVER, August 2, 2025 – The Colorado Rockies delivered one of the most thrilling games of the 2025 MLB season, erasing a 9-0 first-inning deficit to stun the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-16 with a walk-off, two-run homer by Brenton Doyle in the ninth inning on Friday night at Coors Field. The game marked only the third time in Rockies history they’ve overcome a nine-run deficit to win and the first instance in MLB since 2006 where a team allowed nine runs in the first inning and still emerged victorious.
The Pirates exploded early, with Oneil Cruz’s grand slam and Andrew McCutchen’s three-run homer off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela fueling a 9-0 lead before Colorado could respond. Senzatela lasted just two-thirds of an inning, surrendering eight runs on seven hits. Undeterred, the Rockies clawed back, scoring one run in the first, three in the third, two in the fourth, and four in the fifth to trail 15-10. Pittsburgh pushed their lead to 16-10, but Colorado’s bats ignited in the late innings.
In the ninth, Pirates reliever Dennis Santana struck out Ezequiel Tovar, but Hunter Goodman’s 425-foot solo homer sparked a rally. Jordan Beck walked, Warming Bernabel ripped an RBI triple, and Thairo Estrada’s single tied the game at 16-16. Doyle then crushed a 406-foot homer for his first career walk-off, sending the Coors Field crowd into a frenzy. “We kept fighting, kept the energy up,” Doyle said. “This is one we’ll never forget.”
Colorado racked up 22 hits, led by Tovar, who celebrated his 24th birthday with a record-tying four doubles, a first for an MLB player on their birthday. Bernabel went 4-for-6 with a homer and triple, while Doyle (4-for-5) and Goodman (2-for-5) powered the offense. Rookie reliever Dugan Darnell, making his MLB debut, earned the win with two scoreless innings. For Pittsburgh, McCutchen (3-for-5, five RBIs) and Nick Gonzales (4-for-6) shone, but their bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
The game was part of a historic MLB night, with three games featuring 25+ combined runs, a feat unseen since 1930, per StatsPerform. Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer called it “the wildest game I’ve ever seen.” The victory, Colorado’s second walk-off of the season, cements this comeback as a defining moment in their 2025 campaign.
Sources: MLB.com, ESPN, Reuters, NBC Sports