The Home Run Derby did not invite Hunter Goodman, so the Rockies catcher staged his own at Coors Field.
Goodman launched 3 home runs, drove in 5 runs and reached 30 for the season in Colorado’s 9 to 6 loss to Cincinnati. His shots came in the 1st, 6th and 8th innings, turning a game that looked finished after 2 innings into a late contest.
The performance made him the first player in Rockies history with 2 three homer games in the same season. Goodman also joined Larry Walker, Todd Helton and Carlos González as the only Colorado hitters with multiple such games in a career. He reached that company in a matter of weeks.
Despite the fireworks, Colorado still fell 9 to 6. Ryan Feltner’s disastrous start left the Rockies chasing an 8 to 1 deficit and trapped Goodman’s historic afternoon inside another defeat.
Goodman turned a blowout into a ballgame
Goodman’s first homer came with 2 outs in the 1st after Cincinnati had already scored 5 runs. His solo shot gave Colorado a pulse, but the Reds responded with 3 more runs in the 2nd. Cincinnati appeared to have complete control until Goodman came back to the plate in the 6th.
The inning began with Jake McCarthy reaching on a single. Goodman then drove a pitch from Hunter Greene 435 feet to left center for a 2 run homer. Colorado still trailed 9 to 3, but the game no longer felt completely settled.
He returned in the 8th with a runner aboard and attacked left handed reliever Sam Moll. Goodman sent the ball 442 feet, cut the deficit to 9 to 5 and completed the second three homer game of his season.
That swing gave the crowd a reason to remain invested in a game that had nearly slipped away before Colorado recorded its first out. Goodman was not simply waiting on one pitch or taking advantage of one tired starter. He punished different arms while the Rockies were buried early and again when they were attempting a desperate late rally.
The 3 swings captured exactly why Goodman has become such a difficult matchup. His timing looked clean, his decisions were aggressive and every mistake carried the threat of leaving the park.
“He looks dangerous. He just looks in sync,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer’s assessment also explained why the Derby omission now feels so difficult to defend. Goodman looked like the kind of hitter the event was created to showcase, yet one of baseball’s most productive power bats never received the invitation.
The Derby snub looks worse now
The omission already looked questionable before Goodman returned from the All Star break. His latest performance made the decision even harder to understand. Goodman had 27 home runs when the Derby field was completed, placing him ahead of several selected participants, and he had made it clear that he wanted to compete.
A left hand contusion complicated the situation but did not eliminate him from consideration. Goodman injured the outside of his hand near the wrist while sliding into home on July 6. Tests showed no serious damage, and he remained open to participating if he recovered in time.
The invitation never arrived. His hand healed well enough for the All Star Game, then Goodman began the second half by launching 3 homers and reminding everyone what the Derby had left at home.
His case also extends well beyond one afternoon at Coors Field. Goodman had already hit 18 home runs on the road before the break, while his first three homer game of the season came at Target Field in Minnesota. Those numbers dismantle the lazy claim that his power exists only because he plays in Denver.
Online reaction quickly centered on the missed invitation. Many fans wondered how one of the league’s most productive power hitters had been excluded from an event designed to showcase exactly that skill.
Colorado could not get out of its own way
Goodman drove in 5 of Colorado’s 6 runs. Willi Castro’s solo homer in the 9th accounted for the only Rockies run that did not come from their catcher.
Feltner surrendered 5 runs in the 1st and 3 more in the 2nd. He returned for the 3rd, recorded 1 out and was removed after completing 2 1/3 innings. That brief appearance in the 3rd explains the full pitching line, though the damage had been done long before he left the mound.
Tanner Gordon stopped the game from becoming a complete rout. He worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed only 1 run, giving the offense enough time to make the score respectable. By then, Colorado had spent most of the afternoon trying to climb out of a massive hole.
Goodman kept dragging the Rockies closer, but no hitter can erase that kind of start alone. It became a one man show, highlighting how little support he received from the rest of the lineup. Colorado got a historic performance from its catcher and only 1 run from everyone else.
Goodman is becoming too loud to ignore
Goodman reached 30 home runs by Colorado’s 101st game, the 4th fastest run to that mark in franchise history. His earlier three homer game pushed him to 25 within the team’s first 83 contests.
Johnny Bench was the last National League catcher to reach 25 that quickly, accomplishing the feat in 1970. A 2nd consecutive All Star selection also confirmed that Goodman’s production is not the result of a brief hot streak.
Playing for a losing team limits the attention surrounding any individual season. National coverage usually follows pennant races, major markets and clubs with realistic postseason hopes. Colorado currently offers none of those things, but Goodman keeps forcing his way into the conversation.
He has produced at home, delivered on the road and established a growing place in franchise history. At 30 homers with more than 2 months remaining, Goodman is closing in on the best offensive season ever produced by a Rockies catcher.
The Derby missed its chance to give him a national stage. Goodman found one on his own.
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FAQS
Q1. How many home runs did Hunter Goodman hit against the Reds?
Goodman hit 3 home runs and drove in 5 of Colorado’s 6 runs. He finished the game with 30 homers for the season.
Q2. What Rockies record did Hunter Goodman set?
Goodman became the first Rockies player to record 2 three homer games in the same season.
Q3. Did the Rockies win Hunter Goodman’s three homer game?
No. Cincinnati defeated Colorado 9 to 6 after building an 8 to 1 lead during the first 2 innings.
Q4. Why did Hunter Goodman miss the Home Run Derby?
Goodman never received an invitation. A left hand contusion affected his availability, but he remained willing to compete if he recovered in time.
Q5. Was Hunter Goodman only hitting well at Coors Field?
No. Goodman had hit 18 road homers, and his first three homer game of the season came in Minnesota.
I live for the roar of the crowd, the rush of a new city, and the kind of moments that turn into lifelong memories. Sports keep me energized, travel keeps me grounded, and every journey gives me a fresh story to tell.
