[Fantasy Skipper]

The 1993 inaugural home schedule for our Colorado Rockies has come to a close culminating with 14-game homestand against the Astros, Dodgers, Padres, and Reds. While the team certainly showed flashes of brilliance and resilience, the overall stretch continued the pattern of an expansion club still finding its footing. The Rockies finished the homestand with a 6-8 record.

Houston Astros Series (2-2)
September 13th vs. Astros A tough start to the homestand, as the Rockies fell 6-4 in 10 innings. Despite Pat Listach's triple and double, Houston's Greg Colbrunn had 3 RBI, and Jeff Bagwell delivered a clutch go-ahead single in the 10th. Mark Gardner took the loss.

September 14th vs Astros: The Rockies bounced back with and 8-7 victory. Geronimo Berroa blasted a home run, and Jacob Brumfield added a crucial 2-run single in the t6th. Kevin Ritz picked up the win, and Dusty Rhodes noted, "We're feeling good in this clubhouse right now after that one."

September 15th vs Astros: Colorado secured a 4-1 win behind a stellar performance from Armando Reynoso, who held the Astros to one run over 7.2 innings. Jacob Brumfield drove in a key run with a ground out in the 4th, breaking a scoreless tie.

September 16th vs. Astros: The Astros took the series finale 6-4, powered by Jeff Bagwell's two home runs off Dwight Gooden. Gooden took the loss after giving up five runs. Rhodes lamented, "We had situations where we should have got some runs in, but we didn't get the runs in."

Los Angeles Dodgers Series (2-1)
September 17th vs. Dodgers: A Strong 8-4 win for Colorado. Jacob Brumfield was sensational, going 4-for-4 with four singles and an RBI. Jeromy Burnitz broke a 4-4 tie with a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the 7th, and Jack Armstrong earned the win in relief.

September 18th vs. Dodgers: The Dodgers evened the series with an 8-4 victory. Darryl Strawberry homered for LA, and Wally Joyner contributed a sacrifice fly. Terry Mulholland had a rough start, giving up five runs.

September 19th vs. Dodgers: In a hard-fought game, the Rockies secured a 5-4 win. Jeff Blauser was the hero, launching a 2-run home run in the 8th inning to put Colorado ahead. Mark Gardner picked up the win in relief after Gil Heredia set a team record with eight walks.

San Diego Padres Series (0-3)
September 20th vs. Padres: The Padres dominated with a 9-3 win. Tony Gwynn had a big 2-run single and a triple. Armando Reynosa took the loss, and Kevin Ritz struggled, giving up three runs in 0.2 innings.

September 21st vs Padres: A frustrating 5-0 shutout loss for the Rockies. Danny Jackson was outstanding for San Diego, holding Colorado to just 5 hits. Manager Dusty Rhodes commented, "He was pure nasty out there today."

September 22nd vs Padres: The Padres completed the seep with a resounding 14-0 victory. Fred McGriff and the San Diego offense exploded collecting 15 hits. Darryl Kile had a difficult outing, giving up seven runs in three innings, leading Rhodes to call it, "kind of a clunker all around."

Cincinnati Reds Series (2-1)
September 24th vs. Reds: A strong 10-1 win for Colorado. Torey Lovullo was the offensive star, going 4-for-5 with a home run and a double, driving in two runs and scoring three. Jeff Blauser also homered, and Terry Mulholland earned the win with a good 7-inning performance.

September 25th vs. Reds: The Rockies delivered another offensive explosion, blowing out the Reds 13-3. Geronimo Berroa led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a home run and a double, scoring two and driving in four. Jeff Blauser continued his strong play, going 2-for-3 with a triple and four runs scored.

September 26th vs. Reds: The home finale ended in a close 9-8 loss. The Rockies mounted a late rally in the 9th with a 2-run triple from Lance Johnson and a walk from Jeromy Burnitz, but ultimately fell short. B.J. Surhoff homered earlier in the game. Dwight Gooden took the loss, giving up four runs.

Media Perspectives on the Season's End
"Mile High Mike" O'Connell, Denver Sports Radio
"Well, that's it, folks. Our first season at Mile High is in the books. It was a rollercoaster, wasn't it? We saw some flashes, some grit, and some moments that made you stand up and cheer. But we also saw a lot of what you expect from and expansion team -- struggles, inconsistency, and some hard lessons learned. The offense was solid at time and non-existent at others. The pitching, well, that's where we know the work needs to be done. It's a long road, but we're on it. This team, this city, we're building something. It's not always pretty, but it's ours!"

Isabelle "Izzy" Garcia, The Denver Post
"As the Colorado Rockies close their inaugural home schedule, the sentiment is one of tempered expectations and forward-looking optimism. The 14-game homestand, while yielding a losing record, encapsulated the team's season: flashes of offensive potential, moments of defensive brilliance, but ultimately, the pervasive challenges of an expansion franchise. General Manager Caleb Thorne's analytical approach and Manager Dusty Rhodes's focus on development will continue to be crucial. The lessons gleaned from this challenging first year, particularly regarding player performance at altitude and the cultivation of a cohesive pitching stiff, will undoubtedly shape the team's strategy moving into the offseason and beyond. The foundation is being laid; patience, it seems, will be the prevailing virtue for Rockies fans."