The Colorado Rockies (19–67), already mired in a deeply disappointing season, battled hard on the evening of July 2, but ultimately succumbed to a 5‑3 loss against the visiting Houston Astros (52–34) at Coors Field. Though the contest saw sparks of offense from the home team, it was veteran hitter José Altuve and the Astros’ depth that once again turned the tide in Houston’s favor.

Houston struck first in the top of the first inning. Center fielder Jake Meyers ripped a one-out double and came in to score on a single by Cam Smith, giving the Astros an early 1‑0 lead. The momentum extended into the second when newcomer Shay Whitcomb blasted his first career home run, a majestic solo shot that landed in left-center field—sealing a 2‑0 Astros advantage.

Colorado responded in the bottom of the second. Mickey Moniak launched a two-run homer, his 12th of the season, to tie the game 2-2, putting the game into a pitching duel for the next couple of innings. Rockies starter Austin Gomber battled through five innings before Colorado turned to its bullpen, which quickly unraveled in the sixth.

In the top of the sixth, with Cooper Hummel singling and Mauricio Dubón walking, Jake Bird plunked Jake Meyers to load the bases. It was then that José Altuve, in a clutch moment, uncorked a go‑ahead two‑run single—his 2,315th career hit—surpassing Jeff Bagwell for second in Astros history. Smith followed with an RBI single, bringing in Meyers and making it 5‑2 Houston.

Colorado attempted to claw back. The Rockies offense mounted a late rally: they scratched across a run in the ninth when Brenton Doyle scored on a ground‑ball double play—a small consolation in the defeat.

Hunter Brown, Houston’s starter, delivered a composed six innings: two earned runs, six hits, a walk, and eight strikeouts. His performance elevated him to 9–3 with an ERA around 1.82—becoming one of just two Astros pitchers to reach 500 strikeouts within 86 appearances.

Despite the loss, the Rockies showed glimpses of competitiveness. Moniak’s homer and Freeman’s three-hit game, which extended his on-base streak to 17 games, stood out. Still, the offense as a whole managed just ten hits and often left too many runners stranded, undermining their potential rally .

They will conclude the series on Thursday with Kyle Freeland taking the mound for Rockies.