Events Point To A Wide-open Kentucky Derby

Not often does a coach get involved in the on-field huddle with their team coming out of halftime. Whatever Chris Armas said to his Colorado Rapids, down 3-1 at the time, worked wonders. In another world, the Rapids took advantage of just one more great opportunity and avenged a bad first half with a gritty win, but they’ll instead settle for a 3-3 draw to the Western Conference’s second-best team in Minnesota United in front of 16,201 people at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the largest crowd of the year. “In that moment (on the field at halftime), it was just another reminder of the belief and the challenge of staying focused,” Armas said.

Rockies rookie outfielder Jordan Beck broke a bone in his left hand in the Rockies’ 8-4 loss to the Phillies Saturday night at Coors Field. Beck, 23, jammed his left (glove) hand while making an excellent diving catch on Nick Castellano’s sinking line drive in left field at the end of the first inning.

The Rockies have turned heartbreak into an art form. For the umpteenth time this season, a late-inning rally against their undependable bullpen cost the Rockies a victory on Saturday night. The Phillies won 8-4, scoring six runs in the ninth off relievers Jalen Beeks, Justin Lawrence and John Curtiss. The Coors Field crowd of 37,535 fans, many clad in Philly red, held a party. “It’s frustration right now,” said Lawrence, who blew his third save and is carrying a 5.91 ERA.

Standing in right field, Regis Jesuit senior Brody Chyr knew the Class 5A semifinal matchup against Cherry Creek would be decided in the sixth inning on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders’ three-run lead was threatened as pitcher Luke Reasbeck gave up a single, a walk and threw a wild pitch, to put runners on second and third with one out.

1 + 1 + 1 = 3. And three equals none. At least when it comes to splitting the reps with quarterbacks competing for the starting job. Broncos coach Sean Payton explained this week that Jarrett Stidham (Tuesday), Zach Wilson (Wednesday) and Bo Nix (Thursday) all worked with the first team. “We’ll continue doing that right now,” Payton said. Listening to the interview, it felt like there was a punchline coming rather than this being something Payton will actually do.

Ezequiel Tovar is quietly becoming a star. While the Rockies’ reconstruction project will likely take years, the soft-spoken Tovar is rapidly becoming one of baseball’s best shortstops. And he’s only 22 years old. Last Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum, Tovar had the first two-homer game of his career. His fifth-inning blast traveled 443 feet, his seventh-inning shot went 411.