Keeler: On 20th & Bleak, we laugh to keep from crying. Staring at the Rockies for too long is like staring into the sun — brother, it burns. The Local 9 has two All-Stars, although only one will actually make the team. Love ya, Jake Bird, but the nod goes to catcher Hunter Goodman, who as of Monday morning topped all National League backstops in hits, home runs, RBIs and … (checks notes) errors. The 25-year-old Memphis Masher is the rarest of breeds in LoDo these days: A Rockies player you’d happily pay to watch.

Renck: Goodman has been the Rockies’ best player. Drew Goodman might be their most valuable, having to broadcast every game. Settling in as the everyday catcher, Goodman leads the Rockies in home runs (10) and RBIs (37). He has thumped right-handed pitching (19 extra-base hits) and earned his stats the hard way with eight of his dingers coming on the road. Jordan Beck is the only other player in the conversation, and he was already sent to Triple-A once this season. The reason Goodman really isn’t an All-Star? He is not a good defender, his erratic throwing has led to six errors. As for disappointments, how much time do you have?

Keeler: Not enough for this dumpster fire. On a team of Falling Stars, the real challenge is settling on just one. The Rockies’ “plan” was to build a lineup, a foundation, around Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and Brenton Doyle in center field. Two problems arose, though: Tovar’s body is breaking down, and Doyle’s bat is made of Swiss cheese. Doyle’s easily the most disappointing regular. He’s what I like to call a Bill Schmidt Special: A player with three really strong tools (fielding, arm strength, speed) that are perfect for Coors Field, combined with two that are so terrible (hitting for average, hitting for power) that they absolutely bury the upside. All that good, young pitching from Rocktober 2018 is no longer young and no longer good.

Renck: Kris Bryant has been first-team Falling Star since the moment he signed. But everyone with eyes knew he was done. Doyle was supposed to be good. He has been a mess offensively, dropped from leadoff to fifth in the order. He is hitting .159 over the last month with five extra-base hits. Not even his Gold Glove defense has prevented him from posting a minus-1.0 WAR. First baseman Michael Toglia was mercifully demoted to the minors after leading the league in strikeouts, but there were suspicions about his 2024 breakout season. And Adael Amador is back with the Isotopes after posting a .146 average in 89 at-bats. His age (22) is used as an excuse. But in multiple stints with the Rockies, his lack of power makes him look a lot closer to a utility player than an everyday starter.

Keeler: With Amador, at least we’ll always have that flying glove moment against the Yankees. Me? I’m still waiting for that air-tight defense Schmidt and Dick Monfort promised. According to Statcast, the Rox’s infield ranked 19th out of 30 clubs in Outs Above Average and 19th in runs prevented. Per the Fielding Bible, Colorado’s team defense was 27th in runs saved (-30). If you build it, they will numb.

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The proof is in the pummeling.

The Mets slugged six home runs Sunday afternoon at Coors Field in a 13-5 victory to complete the three-game sweep. Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso each launched two homers. An announced crowd of 40,548 attended New York’s Home Run Derby.

The six homers Colorado gave up are tied for the second-most, at home, in franchise history. The Giants mashed seven homers at Coors Field on July 2, 2002, in an 18-5 drubbing of the Rockies. Denny Neagle gave up three homers in that game, but no, Barry Bonds did not go yard.

Alonso’s two homers on Sunday gave him 243 in his career, moving him past David Wright (242) for the second-most in franchise history. Darryl Strawberry’s 252 homers are the most in Mets history.

Rockies starter Chase Dollander continues to be hurt by the longball. McNeil tagged him for a leadoff homer in the second, and Alonso hit a two-run blast in the third. For the second outing in a row, Dollander was removed after just three innings.

“It all comes back to his command,” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, now 5-20 since replacing Bud Black. “He’s getting behind in counts. He’s then working extremely hard to get back into counts and he’s throwing a lot of pitches.

“I think that leads to him going over the heart of the plate more often than he should. I have all of the confidence in the world in Chase Dollander going forward and being able to make adjustments.”

The Mets (42-24) not only swept the weekend series but also, on the heels of taking three from Colorado last weekend in Queens, swept the season series for just the second time in their history. In 2015, New York took all seven games from Colorado.

The Rockies’ 12-53 record through their first 65 games is tied with the 1932 Boston Red Sox for the worst start in the Modern Era (since 1901). To avoid their third consecutive 100-loss season, Colorado would have to go 51-46 for the remainder of the season. That doesn’t seem likely.

It might be June 8, but Colorado’s offense remains in hibernation. The Mets mashed 17 hits while the Rockies had 10, but a bunch of the Rockies’ hits came well after the game was decided. And here’s a statistic that should make the gray-haired Blake Street Bombers cringe: At Coors Field this season, opponents have outhomered Colorado 44-28.

Mets right-hander Tylor Megill no-hit Colorado for four innings until Sam Hilliard led off the fifth with a double into the right-field corner. Hilliard scored on catcher Braxton Fullford’s single, and Fullford scored on Jordan Beck’s double, cutting the Mets’ lead to 8-2.

Dollander’s big-league education must include trigonometry, calculus and physics, because it hasn’t been easy, as his 2-6 record and 6.85 ERA show. He departed after just three innings, giving up five runs on eight hits, including two home runs.

“To be honest with you, I’m not really doing my job right now,” Dollander said. “I want to be the guy who’s giving the bullpen a break. It’s a little frustrating when I don’t. I just have to keep after it.”

Serving up home runs has hurt Dollander throughout his rookie season. Of the 47 hits Dollander has allowed this season, 12 have gone over the wall, and his 2.42 home runs allowed per nine innings is the second-highest rate in the majors behind Toronto’s Bowden Francis.

Dollander said he’s not allowing his frustration to seep into his performance on the field, but admitted there have been tough moments.

“I’m definitely able to contain it, but when I get in (the clubhouse), alone, with my thoughts I (am) a little bit frustrated,” he said. “I put so much time and thought into every start, and when you go just three innings, it’s not the greatest feeling in the world. So it’s just about figuring out what to do.”

Asked if Coors Field has been more of “a beast” than he expected, he answered, “No.”

New York put the game away in the fourth with McNeil’s three-run homer off Juan Mejia, and rubbed it in with a two-run blast to right by Brett Baty in the seventh off Seth Halvorsen, Alonso’s two-run homer off Tyler Kinley in the eighth, and Francisco Alverez’s 450-foot solo homer to dead center off Zach Agnos in the ninth.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.34 ERA) at Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50), 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Giants LHP Robbie Ray (8-1, 2.44) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-8, 5.19), 6:40 p.m.

Thursday: Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-1, 2.55) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 6.68), 1:10 p.m.

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The Mets clobbered the Rockies, 8-1, Saturday night at Coors Field in front of 38,279 fans, hitting three leadoff homers off Colorado right-hander German Marquez. New York’s win streak over Colorado grew to seven games.

But at the heart of the loss was the Rockies’ continued inability to produce a clutch hit, even in their home ballpark. The Rockies had 10 hits but were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. They were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position in their 4-2 loss to New York on Friday night.

Failure in the clutch has been a recurring theme and contributed mightily to Colorado’s 12-52 record, which ties the 1932 Red Sox for the worst record through 64 games in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1901). The Rockies are hitting .210 with RISP, second worst in the majors behind Baltimore (.208).

Asked how the Rockies can turn it around, manager Warren Schaeffer said, “I think it’s just calmness in the batter’s box, in those situations. Mixed with aggression — that fine line.”

Then Schaeffer spelled out the wasted chances.

“Today, first and third, and no outs in the first,” he said. “First and second, and no outs in the third … So we had plenty of opportunities to score early, which could have changed the course of that game. It’s been a consistent theme, but we’ll get better at it.”

The Rockies slid to 6-24 in LoDo, the worst home record in the majors and their worst start through 30 home games in franchise history. They have been outscored 222-114 at Coors this season. They were held to five runs or fewer at home for the ninth straight game, tied for the third-longest streak in franchise history.

Ryan McMahon’s leadoff homer in the fifth, an opposite-field shot off Mets starter Clay Holmes, was the Rockies’ 28th homer at Coors Field. The opposition has hit 38.

McMahon’s homer, his sixth this season but first since May 11, was the 131st homer of his career, moving him past Matt Holliday for 11th place in franchise history.

Marquez had been pitching much better lately, posting a 3.86 ERA over his last five starts. He was in a groove for the first four innings Saturday, giving up one run on three hits, the big blow Ronny Mauricio’s leadoff homer in the third. Big blow, meaning a 456-foot rocket to right field.

Things got messy in the fifth. Jared Young led off with a solo homer to left, and Mauricio followed with a single and a stolen base.

The Mets stole three bases off Marquez, who did a poor job of holding runners. The first two thefts, both by leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor, who started at shortstop despite a broken pinky toe, didn’t hurt Colorado. But Mauricio’s steal cost Marquez because Brandon Nimmo punched an RBI single through the left side of the infield to put New York ahead, 3-1.

Both Marquez and Schaeffer said they thought that the Mets “had something” on Marquez and his delivery, which allowed the Mets to swipe bases easily off the right-hander.

“I feel like they have something on me and that’s something I have to work on,” said Marquez, who admitted that Lindor’s first steal caught him off guard.

Added Schaeffer: “The running game got us today for sure. … We need to mix up looks and mix times (to the plate).”

New York’s lead grew to 4-1 in the sixth on Jeff McNeil’s leadoff, line drive-homer to right.

Marquez, now 2-8 with a 7.00 ERA, gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out three, and walked none. Saturday marked Marquez’s first time allowing three home runs at Coors since June 1, 2022, vs. Miami.

“I felt good with everything (tonight), but I just missed two pitches — two solo homers — and I didn’t walk anybody,” said Marquez, who added that he thought the ball was flying at Coors. Young’s 385-foot homer in the fifth was the best example of that.

The Mets piled on late, scoring two runs off lefty reliever Ryan Rolison and two more off right-hander Jimmy Herget. The Mets hit 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Not great, but plenty good enough to beat the Rockies.

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They’ve stumbled and bumbled their way to a 12-50 start as they entered their weekend series vs. the Mets at Coors Field.

Their starting pitching has been mostly a train wreck. Starters have a combined ERA of 6.55, worst in the majors and more than a run higher than the Marlins’ 5.50.

The offense continues to scuffle at an almost unbelievable rate, considering that the team calls Coors Field home. The Rockies rank last in the majors in batting average (.216) and OPS (.635), while ranking worst in strikeout rate (26.6%). Their 53 home runs rank 26th, and their 30 stolen bases are 28th. In other words, the Rockies don’t hit for power or average, strike out too much, and can’t run.

Colorado’s defense, purported to be a strength before the season began, has the majors’ worst fielding percentage (.977) and second-most errors (52).

OK, now here’s where it gets weird: Their bullpen is pretty good. And it’s been very good lately.

No, I haven’t been drinking purple Kool-Aid. And yes, I realize that Colorado’s 5.44 bullpen ERA is the second-highest in the majors. But hear me out.

Now that the relievers’ roles have been sorted out and some of the young talent is gaining confidence, the bullpen has been sturdy. On the just-completed nine-game road trip through Chicago, New York (Mets) and Miami, relievers allowed one or fewer runs in all nine games. In Colorado’s sweep of the Marlins, the bullpen allowed zero runs over 12 2/3 innings.

Still skeptical? You say that the wind was blowing in at Wrigley Field? You say that Miami’s loanDepot Park is a pitchers’ paradise and the Marlins are awful? You say that when the weather heats up at Coors, the bullpen will melt down? I get it.

Colorado’s current eight-man relief crew has a combined ERA of 3.21, and that includes veteran right-hander Tyler Kinley’s 6.04 ERA. But Kinley, he of the magical vertical slider, has posted a 2.45 ERA over his last 11 appearances. A month ago, his ERA was 8.79, and I thought he was washed up. But the exit velocity against him is 84.5 mph, well below the league average of 88.5 MPH. Kinley’s hard-hit percentage of 29.3 is well below the league average of 34.3%. He’s inducing a lot of weak contact.

Middleman Jake Bird is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. Through 26 appearances, the right-hander has a 1.53 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings. Middle relievers don’t make All-Star teams, but Bird has been sensational.

Former manager Bud Black told me over the winter that rookie right-hander Zach Agnos had the right stuff and the right mentality to be a big-league closer. Agnos is now the Rockies’ closer, and he’s thriving.

It’s a small sample size, but Agnos has a 1.50 ERA over 16 appearances (18 innings) with four saves in four chances. His WHIP is a minuscule .083, and teams are hitting just .200 against him. In the age of 100 mph fastballs, Agnos doesn’t blow away hitters with heat, but his 95.8 mph fastball is hot enough and he knows how to command it. Plus, Agnos is a four-pitch pitcher who generates a lot of weak contact. Still, he’ll be tested in the coming month as teams get a book on him.

Right-hander Seth Halvorsen brings the firepower. His four-seam fastball averages 101.1 mph. Over his last two outings, he threw 17 of 32 pitches 100 MPH or faster. Still, Halvorsen’s been inconsistent. He has three saves and two blown saves, a 4.38 ERA, a 1.459 WHIP, and an 11.4% walk rate. Those numbers will improve if the right-hander commands his fastball, split-finger change and slider better.

Right-handers Jimmy Herget (3.03 ERA), Juan Mejia (3.07) and Victor Vodnik (2.92) have given Colorado some quality depth.

Who knows how long I’ll remain bullish on the bullpen?  Like I said, the Rockies are flawed, and they’re weird. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the offense heat up in June, July and August, while the overworked relievers start getting scorched.

But during this Rockies’ season of discontent, the bullpen deserves credit for the job it’s done.

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For the Rockies, it was another hard-fought loss in a season full of defeats.

The Mets prevailed, 4-2, on Francisco Lindor’s unlikely, pinch-hit, two-out double off Colorado rookie closer Zach Agnos in the ninth. Mets fans, who made up a good portion of the announced crowd of 34,890, chanted “MVP! MVP!” as Lindor stood on second base.

Lindor, who hammered the Rockies during the Mets’ sweep in Queens last weekend, suffered a broken pinky toe on his right foot on Wednesday when he was hit by an 89 mph slider by the Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin. The Mets debated putting Lindor on the injured list, but he convinced them not to.

“The trainers did a fantastic job getting me prepared,” Lindor said. “In the fifth and sixth innings, they asked if I was ready, and I said ‘Yeah.’ I just wanted to play.”

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer tipped his cap to Lindor.

“Francisco Lindor is one of the great players in the game,” Scheffer said. “He’s a guy you never count out. He’s just one of the best. You never want to see him in the batter’s box.”

After four saves since being installed as the closer, Agnos blew the first save of his career.

“I was just thinking about executing, that’s all I’m focused on, whoever is the batter, whoever I’m facing,” said Agnos, who threw a 1-0 cutter to Lindor. “When I throw my pitch, I should be able to get anybody out, but he put a good swing on a good pitch. … It was off the plate and a little bit in.”

The Mets (40-24) beat the Rockies for the sixth straight time. Colorado saw its three-game winning streak end, and they slid to 12-51, continuing their run at baseball’s worst record of the modern era. The Rockies’ 51 losses through their first 63 games are tied with the 1932 Boston Red Sox for the most since 1901.

New York took a 2-1 lead in the seventh on Pete Alonso’s two-run double off Tyler Kinley. Starling Marte and Juan Soto reached on back-to-back singles, and Kinley had Alonso in an 0-2 hole before Alonso blasted his double to left-center.

The Rockies counter-punched in the bottom of the frame. Pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard tripled off the right-field wall and scored on Mickey Moniak’s single to right. Moniak’s solo homer off Mets starter Kodai Senga in the third had put Colorado ahead 1-0.

The game between the division-leading Mets and the cellar-dwelling Rockies was packed with drama.

In the Rockies’ eighth, Jordan Beck led off with a single up the middle off reliever Ryne Stanek, and Thairo Estrada followed with a double off the right-field wall. Third-base coach Andy Gonzalez started to wave Beck around third, but held Beck up at the last moment. It didn’t seem to matter when Hunter Goodman walked to load the bases.

But then the baseball gods smiled on the Mets. Colorado’s Ryan McMahon hit a line drive — right at third baseman Brett Baty, who doubled up Beck for the double play. Stanek struck out the slumping Brenton Doyle to end the threat. The Rockies finished the game 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

Asked about Gonzalez’s decision not to send Beck, Schaeffer backed up his third-base coach.

“Third base coach is a very, very difficult job, and I will never, ever, second-guess my third base coach,” said Schaeffer, who served as Colorado’s third base coach before he took over as manager last month when Bud Black was fired. “You are on an island. (Gonzalez) saw what he saw. I trust him.”

The sixth inning was especially titillating. Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela opened the inning by walking Alonso and Jeff McNeil. Schaeffer pulled Senzatela and called for right-hander Jake Bird, who’s been one of baseball’s best relievers this season.

But Bird put himself in a no-outs, baseloaded jam when he hit Tyrone Taylor. No problem for Bird, who struck out Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio in succession and then strutted off the mound pumping his fist. Bird lowered his ERA to 1.49.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I know when I was just watching and not pitching, it felt a little bit like a playoff game tonight,” Bird said. “That’s a good team, and we competed with them really well to the point where you could see how fired up they were getting.”

In the fifth, Colorado shortstop Ryan Ritter, making his big-league debut, ripped a standup, leadoff triple off Senga into the gap in left-center. He’s the first Rockies player in franchise history to hit a triple in his first career game.

But Ritter was then erased at home plate, attempting to score from third on Moniak’s grounder to Alonso at first. Ritter was initially called safe after his headfirst slide, but a video review showed that Mets  Alverez slapped a tag on Ritter just before Ritter touched the plate.

Lefty Ryan Rolison worked as the “opener” for the Rockies, supplanting Senzatela for the first inning.

There were good reasons why Schaeffer relieved Senzatela of his first-inning duties. In his first 12 starts this season, the right-hander had a first-inning ERA of 12.00, with a .483 (29 for 60) batting average against. Included in the onslaught were two home runs, three doubles and a triple.

But Senzatela delivered a quality “start,” pitching four scoreless innings, giving up three hits, walking four and striking out two.

Rolison was spot on in his spot duty. He gave up a two-out single to the dangerous Juan Soto but got the equally dangerous Pete Alonso to ground out to short to end the inning.

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Colorado called up 24-year-old Ryan Ritter on Friday ahead of its series opener against the Mets, paving the way for the shortstop’s MLB debut. Ritter has been tearing up Triple-A for the Albuquerque Isotopes and was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Month on Thursday after slashing .381/.445/.918 with 10 doubles, 12 homers and 31 RBIs in May.

In a corresponding move, the Rockies placed Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain that he suffered during the series opener against the Marlins on Monday. It’s Tovar’s second trip to the IL this year, after he missed about a month from mid-April to mid-May with a left hip contusion.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said Friday there is no timetable for Tovar’s return.

Ritter is expecting at least 20 family members and friends to attend Friday night’s game, including his four sisters and two brothers.

Ritter received the good news from Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez, who, as minor league managers universally do, attempted to fool Ritter.

“I was at El Paso for our last game, and then (Lopez) handed me a sheet and had me read it out loud,” Ritter recalled. “I was the player of the month last month. He faked me out, (saying), ‘Here’s a letter from the PCL. Read it out.’ I read it out, and it ended up being, ‘Congrats, you’re going to the big leagues.’”

Ritter said he’s ready for his debut.

“I’m not going to change anything, just focus on playing the way I have been,” he said, referring to his sizzling May. “I just had a good routine down, and I just kept it simple every day. That was the name of the game for me. Every day was the same for me, and the same mindset.”

Ritter, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky in 2022, leads the PCL this season with a .635 slugging percentage and 1.049 OPS. The Illinois native has hit .284/.386/.510 with 59 doubles, 10 triples, 48 home runs, 166 RBIs and 42 steals across four minor-league seasons. He will wear No. 8, while Orlando Arcia will switch his number from 8 to 11.

Ritter said he’s grown a lot as a hitter over the last two years.

“Hitting is something that takes some time,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to be really great at hitting. I know it’s going to be a day-to-day learning process of getting better. You never want to be the same. Just like wine. You know, the longer it’s in the cabinet, the better it tastes. … As I get older, the better I’m going to get.”

Schaeffer is impressed with Ritter’s skill set.

“(He’s) a line-drive hitter, competitor in the box, solid defender, (with) the ability to play all three infield positions,” Schaeffer said. “And do all of that very well.”

Schaeffer added that Ritter has “above average” speed and can steal some bases.

Stallings released, Fulford called up. In another notable move on Friday, the Rockies released veteran catcher Jacob Stallings, 35,  and recalled rookie Braxton Fulford, 26, from Triple-A. Stallings had a solid debut season in Colorado in ’24 that led to the Rockies re-signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million contract, but he’s struggled this year with a .143 average and .217 on-base percentage with no homers in 28 games.

This will be Fulford’s second stint with the Rockies this season. In four previous games, he hit  1 for 8 with five strikeouts. His one hit was a home run.

“I think it just seemed like the perfect time to make a step to push a little youth,” Schaeffer said when asked to explain the move. “I think the timing is right.”

The Rockies also reinstated right-hander Zach Agnos from the bereavement list. The rookie’s been a strong addition to the back end of the bullpen with a 1.50 ERA in 16 games with four saves in four opportunities.

In his heart, he knew he was a catcher. The Rockies knew he possessed raw power, but were unsure about his position.

Last season, he played left field, right field, first base, and catcher, and was an occasional designated hitter. He showed promise but didn’t thrive.

The 25-year-old and the Rockies reached a crossroads during the offseason, deciding he would be a full-time catcher.

Wise move.

The Rockies’ 2021 fourth-round draft choice has not only become their everyday catcher, but he’s on a path that might lead to Atlanta for the All-Star Game on July 15.

“I think we are seeing the player he is capable of being,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I am so thrilled for Hunter. You love to see a player get a real shot and take advantage of it.”

Last season, all signs indicated that crouching behind the plate should be Goodman’s permanent position. In 70 games, he hit just .190, but did launch 13 home runs, and five of them came in September when he started getting regular playing time at catcher. He broke out with a three-hit, two-homer, seven-RBI game on Sept. 13 against the Cubs. His grand slam was the game-winner.

Naturally, the club noticed. Perhaps Goodman could withstand his sweatshop duties as a catcher while still producing the power its languid offense so desperately needs. So far, so good.

Goodman entered the weekend series with the Mets at Coors Field leading the Rockies in almost every offensive category: batting average (.281), home runs (10), doubles (13, tied with Tyler Freeman), OPS (.819) and RBIs (36).

In Colorado’s recent three-game sweep in Miami — Colorado’s first sweep in 57 series — he went off, hitting 7 for 13 with three homers, two doubles, a triple and five RBIs. Entering the weekend, Goodman’s 63 hits led all major league catchers, while his homers, RBIs and 110 total bases led all National League catchers.

Goodman’s hot streak was encouraging because it showed he could make in-season adjustments. In the 10 games before he got to Florida, Goodman hit .147 with no home runs and a 34.2% strikeout rate. The catcher acknowledged that he was pressing, trying to do too much to spark the offense as Colorado’s historic run of losses mounted.

Before arriving in Miami, he worked overtime in the hitting cage in Chicago and New York. He wasn’t searching for power. Instead, he concentrated on regaining his rhythm.

“I moved my hands a little lower, a little forward, just trying to keep my upper traps and shoulders nice and relaxed,” Goodman said. “It helps with my bat path and keeps it a little smoother. I’ll just try to keep that going.”

As for the theory that catching would sap his power and offensive production, Goodman, who’s started 33 of Colorado’s 62 games behind the plate this season, has a counterargument.

“Most days when I catch, the stuff I’m doing behind the plate is more important than the at-bats,” he said. “I’m thinking about working with the pitcher, I’m thinking about the team. It takes the pressure off me in the batter’s box. I’m not as worried about always coming through in those moments.

“I’m more relaxed because I feel like I know that when I’m doing my job behind the plate, then the hitting is a bonus. That’s kind of how I look at it.”

The statistics back up Goodman’s theory. In 214 big-league plate appearances as a catcher, he’s slashed .291/.313/.562 with a 6.5% home run rate and 23.8% strikeout rate. As a DH, he’s slashed .201/.272/.396  (4.1% home run rate, 28.6% K rate) in 147 plate appearances. As a right fielder, his line is .170/.229./310 (1.8% home run rate, 30.1% K rate) in 109 plate appearances.

This season, he’s slashing .313/.336/.560 with eight doubles and eight home runs when playing catcher (140 plate appearances). As a DH, he’s slashing .239/.323/.398 with two homers and 12 RBIs (99 plate appearances).

According to Daron Schoenrock, Goodman’s coach at the University of Memphis, the mental and physical grind of catching has long fueled Goodman’s hitting.

“He said the same things to me during his junior season,” Schoenrock recalled. “I remember that as a true freshman, he was starting for us. He would start in left field or right field, and in between at-bats, I would see that he would stress so much. Even though he’s a pretty calm person, he had too much time to think about the previous at-bat.

“It built up, and the crescendo to his next at-bat was enormous because when he failed, he felt like he had to repeat that at-bat or make the next one better. But with catching, he had to go do his job, and it kind of got his mind off the AB.”

What’s more, Schoenrock said Goodman’s study of the strike zone turned him into a better hitter.

“He has really strong cognitive skills behind the plate,” the coach said. “When Hunter would come to the plate, he would often swing at pitches, or take pitches, based on the umpire’s strike zone that day. He was able to translate that. As a junior, when he became our regular catcher, it enhanced his ability to handle the strike zone — as a hitter.”

There was never any doubt about Goodman’s power. As a sophomore at Memphis, he put together a legendary three-game series against Western Illinois. Over that weekend, he hit four home runs, including three grand slams — one a day from Friday to Sunday. He drove in 22 runs, capped by an 11-RBI performance on Sunday, which was both a Memphis and American Athletic Conference single-game record.

“We first noticed Hunter’s power during batting practice his freshman year,” Schoenrock said. “Balls that he hit, versus balls everybody else hit, were just different. Even his routine flyballs were carrying more. He has that innate ability.

“We weren’t tracking launch angle at the time; we were just watching with our eyes. As we got the equipment to collect data — we got Rapsodo (a baseball flight monitor that tracks spin rate) during Hunter’s junior year — we could see the numbers to see why he had such power.”

While it was Goodman’s dad, Robert, who served as his longtime youth coach and hitting instructor, it was Goodman’s mom, Stephanie, who passed on the power swing to their son.

“I never saw my mom play, but from everything my family says, I got all of my power from her,” Goodman said. “She had a really good college career.”

Stephanie Goodman was a softball star at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., where she was a three-time all-region selection and the 1997 Trans South Conference player of the year while belting 45 career homers.

“Hunter swings the bat like his momma does,” Robert Goodman told The Post in 2023 shortly before their son made his major league debut. “She swung it like a grown man, she really did. And she could hammer homers just like Hunter.”

According to Statcast, Goodman’s average exit velocity this season is 91.7 mph, more than 3 mph faster than the major league average (88.5). His hardest hit ball came off his bat at 116.2 mph, ranking 15th this season.

“Everyone on this team knows that Hunter’s got off-the-chart power, you can hear it when he connects,” said Jacob Stallings, the Rockies’ veteran whom Goodman supplanted as the starting catcher. “The next step for Hunter is to keep improving behind the plate. He’s getting more comfortable calling games. I think his biggest improvement has been blocking pitches. He’s worked really hard on that in spring training, and it’s paying off.”

Still, Goodman is a work in progress. His six errors are the most among National League catchers, and his 15.6% caught-stealing rate (five in 32 attempts) lags behind the league average of 23.6.

“I think I’ve improved on a lot of things,” he said. “At the same time, I think there are a lot of things I can get better at behind the dish. I’ve concentrated a lot on the throwing aspect, just being more accurate.”

Schaeffer believes Goodman has tremendous upside.

“I’m happy that ‘Goody’ got an opportunity to be an everyday player at one position, specifically catcher,” Schaeffer said. “There were always good reports from the minor leagues on his defensive ability.”

Goodman is on pace to hit 22 homers, which would rank second in Rockies history for a catcher, trailing the 28 that Wilin Rosario mashed as a rookie in 2012. The difference is that Goodman is already a better catcher, with a chance to improve. Plus, Goodman, who was a skilled wide receiver and punter at Arlington High School in Tennessee, is a better athlete. He runs well for a catcher and can leg out hustle doubles.

Schoenrock and Goodman have remained in touch. They text each other and see each other when Goodman returns to his native Tennessee during the offseason to work out and go deer hunting.

“What a joy it was to coach Hunter and what a joy to be around,” Schonerock said. “His work ethic is off the charts. I’m so happy for him. I follow all of his games.

“But to be honest with you, his breakout is happening a little quicker than what we thought. I had a feeling Hunter was going to play in the big leagues because of his power. I didn’t know if it would take five years or even longer. You just never know. But ever since he was called up, he’s just kept getting better and better.”

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Riding left-hander Kyle Freeland’s excellent start, the hot bat of Hunter Goodman and one of their best defensive plays of the season, the Rockies beat Miami 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot Park to complete the three-game sweep.

It marked Colorado’s first three-game sweep since they broomed the Padres at Petco Park on May 13-15, 2024 — a franchise record 57 straight series without a three-game sweep.

“It feels amazing to get the sweep,” Goodman said. “We’ve played some of the best teams in baseball the last two weeks, and it’s felt like we were one swing away, every game. To just be able to finish some games and win three in a row like we did this week gives us a lot of momentum.”

The Rockies finished their nine-game road trip 3-6, lifting their historically bad record to 12-50. Before the series with the Marlins (23-37), the Rockies had played 29 consecutive games against clubs with records of .500 or better.

Freeland, who ended a 15-start winless drought that dated back to Sept. 8, was masterful for six innings. He blanked Miami, allowing just two infield hits — a liner by Connor Norby that glanced off third baseman Ryan McMahon’s glove in the first inning, and an infield grounder to short by Heriberto Hernandez to lead off the fifth.

Keeler: Former Rockies wish Dick Monfort would clean house: “You want to be proud of where you played”

"Freeland (was) strong, taking us on his back and took us into the seventh," manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Miami.

Freeland ran into trouble in the seventh. Norby reached on a one-out error by shortstop Orlando Arcia, and Eric Wagaman hit a ground-rule double that got stuck under the padding on the left-field wall. Norby then scored on Hernandez's single to left, cutting Colorado's lead to 3-1 and sending Freeland to the dugout. Pinch-hitter Jesus Sanchez's force-out, 6-4 grounder off reliever Jake Bird scored Wagaman from third, making it 3-2.

Then came Colorado's game-saving defensive play.

Pinch hitter Liam Hicks ripped a double off Bird into the left-field corner. Jordan Beck started the play with a perfect scoop-and-relay to Arcia, who fired a strike to catcher Jacob Stallings, who tagged out Sanchez attempting to score from first base.

"Those are the margins; those are the plays that win games and lose games," Schaeffer said. "Succeeding with that play helps win the game. It was big for us (today). Great pick and tag by Stallings on the back end."

Freeland, sporting a clean-shaven face for the first time this season, was splendid: 6 1/3 innings, four hits, zero earned runs, no walks and four strikeouts.

"He just looked ready to go from the beginning," Schaeffer said. "His body language looked energetic, and he looked ready to roll."

Goodman continues to drive the Rockies' offensive engine. His triple in the first inning off right-hander Cal Quantrill drove in Thairo Estrada to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. The ball came off Goodman's bat at 111 mph. Estrada had reached on a one-out double.

Goodman led off the sixth with a double off reliever Janson Junk, advanced to third on McMahon's fly out to left, and scored on Brenton Doyle's sacrifice fly to right, giving Colorado a 3-0 lead.

Goodman’s 63 hits lead all major league catchers, while his 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and 110 total bases lead all National League catchers.

Colorado's second run came in the fifth on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Tyler Freeman and Jordan Beck off Quantrill. Quantrill, who pitched for Colorado last season before being cut in the offseason, allowed two runs on five hits over five innings. He walked one, struck out two and departed with a 5.63 ERA.

Colorado's bullpen was the steady presence in Miami. It was not charged with any runs over 12 2/3 innings pitched over the three games. Tyler Kinley — filling in for closer Zach Agnos, who's on bereavement leave after the death of his grandfather —  pitched a perfect ninth Wednesday to secure his second save.

Over the nine-game road trip, Rockies relievers combined for a 1.10 ERA, allowing 16 hits and 10 walks while striking out 24.

The Rockies are off on Thursday before opening a three-game series against the Mets beginning Friday at Coors Field.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day

Friday: Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 7.14), 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Mets RHP Clay Holmes (6-3, 3.07) at Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50), 7:40 p.m.

Sunday: Mets RHP Tylor Megill (4-4, 3.77) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (2-7, 6.98), 1:10 p.m.

-- Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

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The catcher lined a one-out home run to left in the eighth inning, leading the Rockies to a 3-2 victory over the Marlins on Tuesday night at loanDepot Park.

Combined with their 6-4 victory on Monday night, the Rockies claimed their first series win of the season. Colorado had lost its previous 19 series and 22 straight dating back to September of last season. That’s the longest series losing streak in major league history.

“That was big-time for the boys, to get that first series win,” manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters in Miami. “Who would have known it wouldn’t come till June? But the time is now. I’m happy for them.”‘

Goodman, the club’s most consistent hitter all season, put a big smile on his teammates’ faces. He hit right-handed reliever Anthony Bender’s 2-1 sweeper for his team-high 10th homer of the season.

“He’s just raking, and when he’s hot, he’s one of the best hitters in the game,” center fielder Brenton Doyle told Rockies.TV in Miami. “What you’re seeing right now, it seems like it’s 105 (mph) or 110 off his bat every night. I hope he keeps it up. He’s one of my good buddies and that was awesome.”

While his teammates have struggled on the road, Goodman has hit .292 with an .870 OPS and has driven in 20 of Colorado’s 82 runs away from Coors Field. Goodman hit two home runs in Colorado’s victory on Monday night.

The Rockies — 11-50 and still on pace for the worst record in big-league history — won back-to-back games for just the second time this season. Their bullpen nailed down the victory, shutting out Miami for six innings. Combined with four shutout innings on Monday, Colorado relievers blanked the Marlins for 10 consecutive frames.

Right-hander Seth Halvorsen got the save, but he had to sweat out the final out. Heriberto Hernandez ripped Halvorsen’s 1-1 slider 402 feet, and the ball came off Hernandez’s bat at 105.9 mph. But Doyle, the two-time Gold Glover, made a leaping catch at the wall to clinch the victory.

“I’m not going to lie. Off the bat, I thought that was a homer, ” Schaeffer said. “But it wasn’t, so it’s all good. It’s the best having (Doyle) in center field.”

Colorado tied the game, 2-2, in the fifth off Miami right-hander Sandy Alcantara, combining a one-out walk by Mickey Moniak, an infield single by Tyler Freeman, an RBI single to right by Jordan Beck, and a sacrifice fly to left by Thairo Estrada. Freeman hit 3 for 4, lifting his average to .280.

Starter Chase Dollander’s return to the rotation was short and not very sweet. Lacking command, the rookie right-hander needed 59 pitches to get through three innings and threw just 28 strikes. He needed 33 pitches in the third.

He issued three free passes, and the Marlins turned them into two runs. In the third, Dollander walked leadoff hitter Nick Fortes (the No. 8 hitter) and then walked Javier Sanoja (No. 9), setting the table for Jesus Sanchez’s RBI single to right. Kyle Stowers hit a two-out single to center to score Sanchez, giving Miami a 2-0 lead.

“I saw him out of rhythm a little bit, maybe a little amped up,” Schaeffer said, referring to Dollander’s struggles. “He had 33 pitches in the final inning, and I just wanted to take care of him coming off the (injured list).

Dollander came off the 15-day IL Tuesday after recovering from right forearm tightness. Dollander felt cramping in his forearm during the first inning of his start on May 18 against Arizona. He held the Diamondbacks to one run over 4 2/3 innings but threw 98 pitches. The Rockies said they put Dollander on the IL as a precaution and said his setback was not serious.

Tovar sidelined. Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is injured again, leaving the Rockies crossing their fingers that it’s not a serious injury that will land Tovar back on the injured list.

Tovar left in the eighth inning of the Rockies’ win over the Marlins on Monday night with left oblique soreness. Schaffer told reporters that Tovar would be held out of the final two games against the Marlins. The Rockies are hopeful that Thursday’s off day will give the shortstop a chance to heal.

“He did it after his second at-bat — it started small and started progressing,” Schaeffer told MLB.com. “(Precaution) is what it was for me last night — getting him out of the game. As I understand, obliques are serious things.”

Tovar is undergoing treatment and being evaluated, Schaeffer said.

The 23-year-old, a reigning National League Gold Glove winner, has already missed a month of playing time with a bruised left hip. He returned on May 16 and hit .306 with three homers and six RBI in 16 games.

Wednesday’s pitching matchup

Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-8, 5.72 ERA) at Marlins RHP Cal Quantrill (3-5, 5.84)

10:10 a.m. Wednesday, loanDepot Park

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM

Trending: Colorado has found rare success in south Florida this week. After winning the first two games of the series, the Rockies are now 14-28 all-time at loanDepot Park (since 2012). They had lost four straight at the venue prior to Monday.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Off day

Friday: Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.60) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 7.14), 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Mets RHP Clay Holmes (6-3, 3.07) at Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 8.50), 7:40 p.m.

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“It’s more than just one or two changes,” the former Rockies closer told me by phone Monday. “It’s got to be a whole new everything.

“It’s been the same group (of leaders) for 30 years. Throughout the whole organization, nothing’s really changed a whole lot.  What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different outcome?”

“I’d love nothing more than for the Rockies to get that thing back on track. But it’s just crazy.”

The crazy is the National Pastime’s new national punchline. Yet it’s always been there. Buried inside the walls. Creeping into the floorboards.

When you ask Veres how the Rockies Experience differed from the other four baseball franchises he played for, the ex-righty reliever and current Cherry Creek High School pitching coach, recalled his first spring training with the Cardinals.

This was February of 2000. The previous November, he’d been traded to St. Louis, along with Darryl Kile and Luther Hackman, after two seasons with the Rockies. When the new guys in red arrived, one of the first things they heard was a warning.

“Don’t make any plans before Halloween,” the Cards told him. “We’re playing through Halloween.”

Fast forward a bit. Veres has a pal who owns a ranch in a neighboring state. He said this pal told him a Rockies player once called asking to reserve a spot at the ranch for him … on Oct. 1.

“That’s the mentality, the mindset,” Veres sighed. “And when you have that within the organization …”

It spreads. It festers. The rot seeps in and never leaves. The floorboards start to creak and give.

Then one day, they give way completely, opening a hole into the cold, dark basement below. You’re 10-50, and everything feels broken. Because it is.

Consider this: Scottie Scheffler won three PGA events between May 4 and June 1. During that stretch, the Rockies also won exactly three times.

“As somebody who lives here, it’s hard to ignore,” Garrett Atkins, the Rockies’ slugging third baseman from 2003-09, texted me Monday. “(I’ll hear), ‘You see the Rockies lost again? What do you think the problem is?’

“I’m sure (it’s) the same questions the media, players, coaches, front office are getting daily from everywhere. It’s got to be frustrating for everybody in the organization because it seems to be the same story every game. Turn the game on in the fourth inning, and they are losing, 3-1.”

We know Monfort, the Rockies’ CEO, isn’t going to clean house to appease the snarky columnists in town. So do it for the alumni, Dick. Do it for the former Rockies who’ve watched your baseball ops besmirch the sweat, the toil and the legacy they left between the lines.

Do it for Atkins. Do it for Veres, 58, who now thinks twice about putting on his beloved Rockies pullover before heading out to the gym.

“Why would they want to (sell)?” Veres laughed. “I remember back to the Dodgers’ previous ownership, when fans would come in the third inning and leave in the seventh. Their model was, ‘We get the same number of fans if we win or if we lose, so why should I put money back into the team?’ At least, that’s what I heard … it seems like that’s the route the Rockies have taken lately.”

Veres isn’t tossing sour grapes. He’s been too busy winning state titles with the Bruins to get riled up about old grudges. He just calls it as he sees it.

“Bud Black was a scapegoat,” Veres said. “What can you do? Your hands are tied as a manager. If you’re dealt the roster you have, it’s not like you can make somebody a better player or a different pitcher.”

Buddy’s Rockies were 7-33 when he got the boot. Warren Schaeffer’s Rockies were 3-17 after Monday’s series opener at Miami. New manager. New hitting coach. Same owner. Same GM. Same results. We’ve all done the math.

“I feel bad for the fans,” Atkins said. “Everybody knows what a great sports town this is. I run into people all the time who were at the playoff games and felt the energy at Coors Field. Everybody just wants that back.”

Veres wants it, too. The first Rockies pitcher to save 30-plus games in a season here (31 in ’99) bought a house here 26-ish years ago when he became Colorado’s closer. Dave eventually pitched in 14 postseason games from 2000-2003 with the Cardinals and Cubs. In the meantime, he fell in love with the Front Range, putting down roots in Douglas County.

He raised a family here. The nest is empty now, and Veres was babysitting his kid’s kids, working in some swim time around the storms, when I called him Monday to talk shop.

“Do your grandkids know or care about the Rockies?” I asked. “Does Coors mean anything to them other than food and a good time?”

“I guarantee they don’t know,” Veres replied. “I guarantee they don’t.”

Which breaks his heart a little, too.

“As a fan, you want it to succeed here,” Veres said. “As a player, you want to be proud of where you played.”

They feel for the current Rockies. They’ve been there. The season is a marathon, a nine-month flight through stormy weather that takes off on Valentine’s Day and lands sometime in October.

“No one wants to lose,” Veres continued. “I’m sure they’re tried of being the butt of the jokes … It just wears on you.”

“What’s the state of this franchise,” I wondered, “in a word?

“Disappointing,” Atkins said.

“Frustrating,” Veres added.

Dave still keeps that Rockies pullover in the rotation, though.

“It’s kind of funny,” Veres said. “I actually thought about it one time: ‘Should I wear my Rockies sweatshirt (in public?)’

“I still love this game. I’m still a fan. And being a local guy now, they’re my hometown team. I want them to be successful. Hopefully, they can figure it out, because it’s a great place to play. With a great fan base that wants and deserves what most fans want.”

Sanity. If only for a summer.

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