Chase Dollander leads Rockies to 2-1 win over Braves, ending eight-game skid

Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post on Apr 30, 2025

Published in Baseball

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DENVER — The kids were more than all right; they were misery stoppers.

Rookie starter Chase Dollander, pitching with a bloody middle finger, baffled the Braves, and rookie reliever Zach Agnos shut them down for his first career save as the Rockies finally discovered a winning formula.

Their 2-1, white-knuckle victory over Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field snapped an eight-game losing streak and closed out a miserable April with a desperately needed W.

Colorado’s pitching quartet of Dollander, Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Agnos limited the Braves to just three hits.

“That’s what it takes; it was a hard-fought win,” manager Bud Black said. “Usually, to get a W when you’re not scoring runs, it takes a strong pitching performance. So, four guys did it.”

Still, history’s dark shadow looms as the Rockies head to San Francisco for a four-game series beginning Thursday.

Colorado’s 5-25 start to the season is tied with the 2003 Tigers for the second-worst 30-game start to a season in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1901). The 1988 Orioles, who lost 21 straight to open that season, were 4-26 in their first 30 games.

Dollander went toe-to-toe with Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner. Dollander, 23, wrapped his arms around the challenge and welcomed the chance to halt Colorado’s misery.

“One-hundred percent,” said Dollander, who departed the game with two outs in the sixth inning because of a cracked fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

“I prepared a lot for this start, knowing I had to give the team a good few innings,” Dollander continued. “I was really happy with how I prepared for this start and I’m really happy with (the start).”

Brenton Doyle‘s one-out, solo homer off Sale in the third inning turned out to be the game-winning swing. Doyle rocketed the veteran lefty’s 1-1 fastball 421 feet and into the left-field bleachers. Doyle has been dealing with injuries and personal matters.

“It’s no secret that the past week has been kind of rough for me, since coming back,” said Doyle, who snapped a 0-for-20 skid with his fourth homer of the season. “We definitely needed this win, as a team. Sale is a heck of a pitcher and to get it against him, on a getaway day, going to another series, is a good momentum boost for us.”

Dollander was pulled from the game because of his injured finger.

“It was cracked, it was bleeding,” Black said, adding that Dollander’s walks to Austin Riley and Matt Olson in the sixth inning were red flags.

“That was a tough decision,” Black continued. “(Dollander) told me, ‘I’m good.’ Those are some of the toughest decisions a manager has to make. I mean, you believe in the guy, but he’s bleeding and he has a cracked fingernail. I know well enough after seeing a guy shaking his hand after a couple of pitches that he’s not where he needs to be.”

Making his fifth career start, Dollander allowed just two singles, struck out four and walked three.

“I was pleased with my curveball today,” Dollander said.

A leadoff walk to Drake Baldwin cost Dollander in the third. Nick Allen followed with a single to right, advancing Baldwin to third. Baldwin scored on Michael Harris’ groundout to second.

Third baseman Ryan McMahon‘s diving stop and perfect throw to first on Allen’s hot shot down the line saved a run in the fifth for Colorado. Dollander clapped McMahon on the back and walked with him off the diamond.

“I said, ‘Thank you' to him,” Dollander said. “That probably saved a run. Like I always say, it’s a team effort, it’s never just me.”

The Rockies got to Sale in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Hunter Goodman singled up the middle and Michael Toglia‘s double to left sent Goodman to third. Sean Bouchard’s single to short scored Goodman.

Sale had pitched in relief at Coors but had never started at the hitter-friendly ballpark. The lefty was excellent: seven innings, two runs allowed on five hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts. He punched out Jordan Beck and McMahon three times each.

McMahon went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and his hitless streak grew to 34 at-bats, the longest hitless streak by a position player in franchise history, surpassing Desi Relaford’s 33 at-bat streak from June 28-July 21, 2005. In his last 17 games, McMahon is hitting 2 for 58 (.034) with 28 strikeouts.