Rockies' unexpected tear
The Colorado Rockies had the longest active winning streak in MLB heading into Thursday, contributing to a rare multi‑sport Denver hot streak. (The streak got extra attention because it stacked with Denver’s NBA and college success.) (x.com) Long streaks early in the season can mask flaws, but they also give teams breathing room to manage pitchers and experiment with lineups. (x.com)
Colorado opened 2026 looking like the same club that lost 101 games in 2025, then ripped off four straight wins from April 5 through April 8 and briefly carried Major League Baseball’s longest active winning streak into Thursday night. The run took the Rockies from 2-6 to 6-6 before a 12-inning loss in San Diego ended it. (espn.com) (mlb.com) The streak got noticed because Denver had two other teams running hot at the same time. The Denver Nuggets entered the weekend on a 10-game winning streak at 52-28, and the University of Denver hockey team reached Saturday’s national title game after beating Michigan 4-3 in double overtime on April 9. (espn.com) (denverpioneers.com) The baseball part was the strangest of the three because the Rockies were not supposed to be here. Colorado finished last in the National League West in 2025 at 61-101, which made any early-April burst look less like a plan and more like a weather event. (baseball-reference.com) (mlb.com) Then the wins started coming from places Colorado usually struggles to find them. The Rockies beat Philadelphia 4-1 on April 5, then swept Houston with scores of 9-7, 5-1, and 9-1, which gave them a second series win by April 8 after they did not get their second series win of 2025 until June. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Pitching was the surprise inside the surprise. After allowing 10 runs to Philadelphia on April 3, Colorado gave up 1 run, 7 runs, 1 run, and 1 run in the next four wins, including Michael Lorenzen’s six strong innings in the 9-1 finish to the Houston sweep. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) That does not mean the roster suddenly became fixed. Through April 10, Colorado was still 6-7 and back under.500 after San Diego’s 7-3 win in 12 innings on April 9, which is the kind of snap-back that reminds you a four-game streak in a 162-game season is a hot week, not a verdict. (espn.com) (mlb.com) Early streaks still buy a team something real. A club that starts 6-7 instead of 2-11 can skip panic moves, spread innings across more relievers, and keep trying different lineups without every loss feeling like a season funeral. (mlb.com) (espn.com) Colorado’s next test is whether the streak was a spark or just a clean patch in a messy roster. The Rockies opened a road series at San Diego on April 9 and then head to Houston on April 14, so the same team they just swept gets another look a week later. (espn.com)
