In the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies tried to rally, despite Sam Hilliard hitting into a double play to make the come-from-behind attempt with two outs. Goodman smashed his 11th homer of the year to cap off a three-hit night and pull the Rockies within three at 10-7.

Colorado held a 5-2 lead over the Giants going into the ninth in the series opener on Tuesday at Coors Field. Up to that point, they had timely hitting, got a decent start from Carson Palmquist, and the bullpen had been flawless. Then came the punch line as the Rockies remain on pace to be the worst team in modern baseball history.

Opposing Márquez is Bryce Elder (2-3, 4.08 ERA), making his 11th start of the season. Elder, a ground ball pitcher with excellent offspeed stuff, profiles as a tough matchup for Colorado’s offense, especially on the heels of a one-run, eight-inning masterclass against the San Francisco Giants.

Colorado has stumbled into its worst nightmare, so moments and games like these are just the boost needed to regain motivation.