Jake McCarthy -- General News
General News sources for Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies
Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies made a rare defensive play on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, turning a 7-unassisted double play—the first in franchise history. With one out and a runner on second base, McCarthy charged in from left field to catch a liner. The runner on second, believing the ball would drop, had already taken off running toward home plate. After securing the catch, McCarthy noticed the runner had gone too far to return safely. Rather than throwing to a covering infielder, McCarthy simply trotted to second base and tagged the bag himself to complete the double play. The play exemplifies an uncommon occurrence in baseball that requires very specific circumstances: a runner being so far off base that an outfielder can reach the bag unassisted before the runner can return. Most left fielders would opt to make a throw in such situations, making McCarthy's decision to handle it himself somewhat unconventional but effective.
The Colorado Rockies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-4 on Wednesday night, breaking a three-game losing streak and snapping a five-game skid against Pittsburgh dating to last August 3. Mickey Moniak had an exceptional performance on his 28th birthday, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and two-run homer. His two-out homer in the fifth inning put Colorado ahead 6-3 after Kyle Karros, Jake McCarthy, and Ezequiel Tovar drove in runs in that inning. Moniak added a double in the eighth and a two-run triple in the ninth, extending his team-leading RBI total to 26.
Jake McCarthy made a standout defensive play in the first inning, catching a sinking line drive from Bryan Reynolds on a full sprint for the second out before stepping on second base to double off Oneil Cruz. This marked the first unassisted double play by a left fielder in Major League Baseball since Boston's Jonny Gomes on July 31, 2013. Rockies rookie TJ Rumfield also contributed offensively, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and a homer; his .277 batting average ranks fourth among qualified rookies.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller was perfect through four innings but struggled in the fifth, allowing five straight hits and six total runs in 5 2/3 innings. Rockies starter Jose Quintana allowed three runs on five hits in four innings, with Antonio Senzatela (3-0) allowing just one run in three innings of relief. Pittsburgh scored on a fielder's choice in the second inning when Henry Davis drove in Ryan O'Hearn from third, plus Bryan Reynolds had an RBI single in the third and O'Hearn homered in the sixth. The game was delayed 26 minutes by rain at the start.
Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies executed an exceptionally rare play on Wednesday night against Pittsburgh, turning a 7-unassisted double play. With one out and a runner on second base, McCarthy made a diving catch on a liner as a left fielder. The runner, believing the ball would drop, had already broken toward home plate. After securing the catch, McCarthy recognized the runner had ventured too far to return safely and simply trotted over to second base to tag the bag himself, completing an unassisted double play without requiring any throws. The Rockies' sports information department confirmed this was the first 7-unassisted double play in franchise history. Such plays are extraordinarily rare, requiring the specific circumstance of a runner being too far off base to recover after a catch is made, combined with a fielder's decision to handle the tag themselves rather than throw.
The Colorado Rockies defeated the New York Mets 6-2 on Thursday, ending a six-game losing streak and avoiding one of the worst homestands in franchise history. Jake McCarthy drove the offensive performance with a career-tying 5 RBIs, including a crucial eighth-inning grand slam that broke a 2-2 tie. The grand slam, which snuck just inside the right field foul pole and was upheld after review, came after McCarthy had tied the game in the sixth with an RBI double. This marked McCarthy's second home run in as many days, notable given he had not homered in his previous 22 games with at least one at-bat.
On the mound, the Rockies' pitching was effective. Antonio Senzatela improved to 2-0, throwing two scoreless innings to earn the win. Colorado's bullpen was particularly strong, shutting out the Mets across 3 1/3 innings while allowing just one hit. Craig Kimbrel took the loss, surrendering McCarthy's grand slam in what proved to be a costly outing that raised his ERA from 3.68 to 7.56.
Looking ahead, the Rockies face the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday with Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.38 ERA) taking the mound against Jesús Luzardo (3-3, 5.09). The Mets travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks with Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.97) opposing Ryne Nelson (1-3, 6.61).