Yesterday was a tough task.
The Rockies walked 15 in a 16-3 loss to the Royals, giving Kansas City far too many open opportunities. Command faltered as pitchers worked through early spring adjustments and fatigue. Offensively, Jordan Beck and Charlie Condon provided the lone sparks with solo home runs, but the lineup struggled to string together consistent, quality at-bats.
Today offers a chance to hone in on the details as Colorado faces the Cleveland Guardians.
Chase Dollander makes his second start after an encouraging debut: two scoreless innings, two strikeouts and a consistent pace. His command stood out: 20 strikes on 32 throws. Today’s focus is simple: get one strike in. After yesterday’s tough performance, seeing Dollander work forward and finish off hitters efficiently would represent meaningful progress.
Cleveland counters with Gavin Williams, after an excellent 2025 season (3.06 ERA, 173 strikeouts in 167.2 innings). He may not carry the traditional ‘ace’ label, but he is an important part of a strong Guardians rotation. Making his second start of the spring, Williams features a 96-97 mph fastball and sharp breaking pitches – a curve and sweeper – that serve as his main swing-and-miss weapons. Although he has the ability to miss bats, walks can sneak in occasionally. It’s a solid test for a Rockies lineup that ran into some swing-and-miss issues yesterday.
The selection battles are heating up and today’s lineup has some fun names to watch. TJ Rumfield gets the nod first, Adael Amador is in second place and Zac Veen is right. Edouard Julien is also back after suffering from a tight feeling in his lower back.
Here’s how to tune in and track:
First pitch: 1:05 PM MDT
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
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