[Fantasy Skipper]

After an electrifying start at Mile High Stadium, our Colorado Rockies embarked on their first road trip of the 1994 season, a six-game swing through Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It proved to be a challenging stretch for the young club, as they encountered tough competition and some heartbreaking finishes.

Pittsburgh Pirates Series (0-3)

Game 1: Pirates Win Thriller 7-5:
The Rockies held a lead in the ninth, looking for their fourth win to start the season, but the Pirates rallied dramatically. Chili Davis got things going with a solo home run, and then Orlando Merced delivered a crushing 3-run walk-off home run off Chuck Finley to seal the win for Pittsburgh. For Colorado, B.J. Surhoff hit his first home run of the season, and Derrick May added a 3-run shot.

Game 2: Colorado Dispatched, 3-2, by Pittsburgh
Another close contest that slipped away. The Rockies scored two in the first, but Pittsburgh chipped away. Orlando Merced hit a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth off Melido Perez, who took the loss despite a solid 6.0 innings, allowing only two earned runs. Jerry Browne and Lance Johnson each had key doubles for Colorado.

Game 3: Colorado Stopped, 12-5, by Pittsburgh
The Pirates completed the sweep in a high-scoring affair. Barry Bonds was the star for Pittsburgh going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, and two walks, driving in two. The Rockies' offense struggled to keep pace, despite Geronimo Berroa's 3rd home run of the season in the ninth.

Philadelphia Phillies Series (1-2)

Game 1: Phillies Win 6-5
A frustrating loss for Colorado, as the Phillies rallied late. Ricky Jordan was the hero for Philadelphia with a 3-for-4 performance, including a home run and a double, driving in three. For the Rockies, Geronimo Berroa hit his fourth home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the first, but Jack Armstrong took the loss after giving up two 8th inning homers.

Game 2: Colorado Get 12-5 Win
The Rockies broke through in a big way, with Armando Reynoso leading the charge on the mound. Reynoso pitched 8.0 dominant innings, allowing only two runs on five hits while striking out six, earning his first win of the season and the Player of the Game honors. The offense exploded for 12 runs on 16 hits, including Sandy Alomar Jr.'s first home run of the year. Pat Listach also had a strong day, driving in two runs.

Game 3: Schilling Leads Philadelphia Past Colorado 4-1
The road trip concluded with a dominant performance from Phillies ace Curt Schilling, who held the Rockies to just one run on three hits over 8 innings Mickey Morandini broke the game open with a grand slam in the first inning of Darryl Kile, who took the loss.

"Mile High Mike" O'Connell's Take: "A Reality Check, But We Fought!"
"Alright, Denver, 'Mile High Mike' here, and let's not sugarcoat it: that road trip was a reality check! You go into Pittsburgh, and they walk you off, then they shut you down, and then Bonds crushes you. Ouch. They you get to Philly, and you drop the first one. That's a rough stretch, folks.

"But here's the deal: we fought! We got that big win in Philly behind Reynoso -- that kid looked like an ace out there! And the bats finally showed up that game, putting up a dozen runs! That's the offense we saw at home, and that's the offense we need more of!

"Yeah, Finley took a tough one, and Kile got lit up by that grand slam. And our offense went quiet in a couple of those game. That's baseball, especially for a second-year team. But we're 4-5, still close to .500. We're learning, we're adjusting. It's a long season, folks, and we'll be back at Mile High soon. This team's got grit, and they'll figure it out!"