PORTLAND -- A little more than two hours north of Fenway Park on Tuesday night, an opposite Rockies universe played out at Delta Dental Park.
Lefty Sean Sullivan (ranked by MLB Pipeline as Colorado's No. 8 prospect) kept his slider and changeup in the strike zone for seven innings and struck out seven -- including the last three he faced in his outing for Double-A Hartford. A first-inning diving catch by Cole Carrigg (No. 2) and solid at-bats from Charlie Condon (Colorado's top prospect and Pipeline's No. 23 overall prospect) and Kyle Karros (the Rockies' No. 18 prospect) occurred in support of Nic Kent's 4-for-4 day. Lefty No. 20 prospect and freshly announced Futures Game invitee Welinton Herrera was barely touched in the ninth at the end of a 6-1 Yard Goats victory over Portland.
It was a 2-1 game before the top of the ninth, when the Yard Goats ran an assembly line of offensive fundamentals that culminated with a Condon sacrifice fly that scored not only Dyan Jorge but also Carrigg, who sped home when the Sea Dogs’ left fielder blanked on the number of outs.
Meanwhile that same night at Fenway, the Rockies saw a scoreless game for 5 1/2 innings retrogress into a 10-2 loss to the Red Sox -- the latest club to get well against the reeling Rox.
The worlds of the Rockies and Yard Goats aren't far apart these days. That's the blessing and the curse.
Last year, Hartford made the Eastern League playoffs. From that team, 13 members made their Major League debuts between last season and now. Those players were the help that was on the way to the Rockies, who lost more than 100 games in 2023 and 2024. It was nowhere near enough help for ‘25.
This group may offer more help, with maybe a few making it this year. But there's a difference between help and rescue.
Hartford manager Bobby Meacham has coached and managed in the Minors and Majors since 1991 and has coached in the Majors with six teams. That's long enough to know that Double-A is not just two levels below the Majors. Triple-A stops on the way up are often short, since extremely hitter-friendly environments in Albuquerque and in the Pacific Coast League make stats almost meaningless. So while the players he manages in Hartford haven't had the experience to be ready, they often are called -- ready or not.
“Sometimes we evaluate beforehand, because we have to, then the real thing either turns out differently or turns out how we thought,” Meacham said.
Players with Hartford have reason to feel close to getting their shot -- partly because players in the Majors are their close friends. Starting pitcher Chase Dollander, just sent down to Triple-A this week, and reliever Zach Agnos, who returned last week from being optioned to Albuquerque, were teammates of Carrigg and Karros with High-A Northwest League champion Spokane.
“I can't help but think of the younger guys; it can't be easy,” said Carrigg, 23. “It's not bad or wrong, but I can't help but think of what it would be like to be in a big league clubhouse without Karros, Zac Veen, Bryant Betancourt -- some of us young guys. But they're mixing the cultures and it's only going to get better.”
The Hartford prospects watch the parent club struggle, but it's more than that. They see the effort and listen to interim manager Warren Schaeffer and veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon.
“I've seen ‘Schaeff’ touch on it a lot, and he's going about it in a really good way,” Karros said. ”You can sit and dwell on all the negative, but I saw him come out and say, ‘There's so much opportunity here.’ We can use this in a way that we make progress and get this thing headed in the right direction.
“And ‘Mac’ was saying at Spring Training that it's no secret the club up there isn't getting it done and hasn't been for a couple of years. So it's going to take all of us.”
How close are Yard Goats to making the jump?
Relievers like Herrera and lefty Sam Weatherly tend to move quickly. Starters such as Sullivan, who underwent right hip surgery last year, and Brown must be certain of their recoveries, but depth is always needed. Righty starter Gabriel Hughes, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and has advanced from Hartford to Albuquerque, is on the radar if he overcomes shoulder soreness. With teams possibly interested in McMahon before the Aug. 31 Trade Deadline, Karros could come into play.
Meacham is too busy managing to project.
“What that leads me to do is basically just teach them the best I can, manage them, coach them, teach them and evaluate the best I can and help them move on,” Meacham said. “Then we see what happens.”
Senior Reporter Thomas Harding has covered the Rockies since 2000, and for MLB.com since 2002.