GJ Rockies run out of rallies

OGDEN, Utah — It started June 18 with a loss in Ogden. Eighty-four days later, it ended with a loss in Ogden. The Grand Junction Rockies team that lost Game 3 of the Pioneer League South Division Championship Series 11-9 to the Raptors is nothing like the team that opened the season. “I’ve never been around a team like this before,” Rockies manager Tony Diaz said. “The way we played in this series, the way we came back over and over again, shows how far this ...

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Rox rally

OGDEN, Utah — For awhile it looked bleak. You could see it on the faces of all the purple-clad fans that made the trip to Lindquist Field, but you didn’t see it on anyone wearing a black jersey in the third-base dugout. Saturday night in Ogden, the Rockies did to the Raptors what the Raptors did at Suplizio Field on Friday. They won in 11 innings, 8-7, extending the Pioneer League South Division Championship Series to a do-or-die Game 3 this afternoon. The Rockies trailed 5-2 ...

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Rockies end road trip with loss to Orem

OREM, Utah —  Michael Bolaski had four hits and Wade Hinkle had two Friday night in the Orem Owlz’ 8-4 win over the Grand Junction Rockies. The win moved the Owlz within five games of the Rockies for the second-best overall record in the South Division, and with Ogden losing to Idaho Falls, Orem trails the Raptors by only two games for first place, with the Rockies only one game back of Ogden with six games to play. Before an out was recorded, the Rockies had a 2-0 lead. ...

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Rodriguez lifts Rockies past Orem

OREM, Utah — After failing to bring in the go-ahead run with a squeeze during the 11th inning of a tie game, Wilfredo Rodriguez bounced back two pitches later and singled in two runs, helping the Rockies to a 4-2 win over the Orem Owlz at Brent Brown Ballpark. Rodriguez finished the game with four hits, and he knocked in three runs, all coming with two out as the Rockies improved to 18-13 in the second half. It also was victory No. 39 of the season, which assures them of an overall ...

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Aquino pitches Rockies to win over Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Through the first nine games of their season-long 11-game road trip, the Grand Junction Rockies have gotten big performances from guys who joined them midseason. Wednesday night’s 5-2 win in Idaho Falls was no different. Jayson Aquino tossed six scoreless without walking batter, picking up his third win of the season. The lefty has a 1.72 ERA in six starts, pitching into the sixth inning every time out. “Aquino has shown to a lot of people that he ...

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Ramirez helps GJ Rockies top Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Michael Ramirez has only been with the Grand Junction Rockies for a month, but he has quickly made his mark. Friday night in Helena, Mont., he threw a runner out at third in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth. Tuesday, he sealed the Rockies’ 7-6 win by hanging onto Julian Yan’s throw in a collision at home plate. Idaho Falls had runners at the corners with one in the bottom of the ninth inning. Elier Hernandez lined out to Yan in right and Nick ...

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Great Falls scores walk-off win over GJ

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Yoandy Barroso’s chopper sailed over the head of Ashley Graeter with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday, scoring Daurys Mercedes to give the Great Falls Voyagers a 5-4 walk-off win over the Grand Junction Rockies. The Rockies are still one game behind Orem in the South Division of the Pioneer League after the Owlz lost 9-8 in 10 innings to Helena. Julian Yan gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead when he singled home Wilfredo Rodriguez with two out in ...

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GJ Rockies drop battle to Voyagers

Keegan Linza tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just three base runners as the Great Falls Voyagers defeated the Grand Junction Rockies 8-3 on Sunday at Centene Stadium. The loss drops the Rockies to 15-12 in the second half, and they are 4-2 on their season-long 11-game road trip. Great Falls took an early 1-0 lead, taking advantage of a pair of Johendi Jiminian walks in the first inning, but Jiminian kept them off the board until the sixth when the Voyagers took control with a  ...

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GJ’s All-Stars shine in win

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Before Saturday night’s game, David Dahl was selected the Most Valuable Player of the Pioneer League, and Eddie Butler and Scott Oberg made to the league’s All-Star team. When the game finished, the three had combined to help the Rockies to a 7-4 victory over the Voyagers. Dahl went 4 for 4 at the plate, Butler earned his seventh win and Oberg picked up his 12th save as the Rockies improved to 36-28, 15-11 in the second half. In the four-game series ...

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Graeter leads Rockies to win

HELENA, Mont. — When the Grand Junction Rockies began the season in June, Ashley Graeter and Jeremy McLeod weren’t around. Friday night in Helena, Mont., they combined for the winning run in the Rockies’ 3-2 win over the Brewers in 11 innings. With one out in the 11th inning, McLeod doubled, his third hit of the game. With two out, David Dahl was walked intentionally for the second straight time in front of Graeter, who hit into a double play in the ninth. With his ...

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Rox ride 6-run eighth to win

HELENA, Mont. — After allowing Helena to take a 6-5 lead with a run in the seventh inning Thursday night, the Grand Junction Rockies answered in a big way, putting up six runs, paving the way to an 11-6 win at Kindrick Legion Field. The Rockies sent 11 to the plate. Three Rockies walked, including two with the bases loaded, and they had five hits, the last being a two run double by David Dahl. Helena jumped out to an early lead when Chris McFarland homered in the first inning, which ...

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Rockies’ bats go silent

HELENA, Mont. — In 10 previous outings, Helena pitcher Tyler Wagner was winless with an ERA approaching seven, but Wednesday night he found his groove. Wagner shut down the Grand Junction Rockies’ bats, tossing seven innings, allowing only two hits and two unearned runs earning his first win of the year in a 3-2 Brewers win at Kindrick Legion Field. The Rockies had the tying run in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings, but Mike Francisco stranded both runners, ...

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GJ Rockies finally get a win in Ogden

OGDEN, Utah — It took six tries, but the Grand Junction Rockies finally came away with a win at Lindquist Field in Ogden after beating the Ogden Raptors 13-5 in the first game of a three-game series. Grand Junction entered Thursday’s Pioneer League game 0-5 in Ogden, and only 1-10 against the Raptors overall in 2012. The Rockies’ 13 runs equals a season best, and they collected a season-high 19 hits, eight of which were doubles by eight different players. David Dahl ...

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Orem rallies to top GJ Rockies

OREM, Utah — The Grand Junction Rockies liked their chances Wednesday night in Orem with Eddie Butler, winner of his last four starts, on the mound. They liked them even more after a three-run first inning, but they couldn’t hang on in a 7-4 loss to the Orem Owlz. The loss drops the Rockies to 3-8 in the second half, five games back of the Owlz with 27 games to play. Their overall record (24-25) dropped below .500 for the first time since July 17. For the first time in the ...

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Ray’s HR in 8th inning lifts Orem past Rockies

OREM, Utah — Andrew Ray was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. On the first pitch of his fourth at-bat Tuesday, trailing by a run, he crushed a three-run home run to left field to lift the Orem Owlz to 6-4 win over the Grand Junction Rockies. The loss drops the Rockies to 3-7 in the second half, 7-6 against Orem overall this season. Orem broke a scoreless tie in the fourth. Jonathan Walsh worked a two-out walk and scored on Michael Bolaski’s triple to give the Owlz a 1-0 ...

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GJ Rockies rebound with 6-5 win at Orem

OREM, Utah — Even though the second half of the Pioneer League season is barely a week old, the Grand Junction Rockies’ series in Orem is a key one. The Rockies entered Monday night’s game four games back of the Owlz for first place, and came away with a much-needed come-from-behind 6-5 win. The win improves the Rockies’ second-half record to 3-6, with a 7-5 season series edge against Orem. “This is a real big win for us,” Rockies manager Tony Diaz ...

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