The Colorado Rockies gave their fans a reason to cheer on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, walking off the Chicago Cubs in dramatic fashion with a 6–5 victory. Mickey Moniak delivered the decisive blow, ripping a triple down the right-field line in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Ryan Ritter from first base and seal a game that had swung wildly in the late innings.

The win allowed Colorado to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cubs and closed out August on a high note. After letting a three-run lead slip away late, the Rockies showed resilience by punching back in their final at-bat, a promising sign for a team that has struggled to finish games throughout the season.

Much of the afternoon belonged to rookie right-hander Tanner Gordon, who turned in one of the most impressive starts of his young career. The 27-year-old gave Colorado six strong innings, allowing only two runs while striking out nine—a career-high mark. His command was sharp, and his mix of fastballs and breaking pitches kept Chicago’s hitters off balance.

Gordon’s lone blemish came in the second inning, when Seiya Suzuki lashed a two-run double into the gap to put the Cubs up 2–0. From there, however, Gordon settled into a rhythm, retiring 10 of the next 12 batters he faced and giving his team a chance to rally.

Colorado’s offense came alive in the middle innings. Orlando Arcia, who has quietly been one of the team’s most consistent bats, knocked in a run with a sharp single in the third. Catcher Braxton Fulford followed with a two-hit day of his own, driving in another run to even the score.

In the fourth, the Rockies grabbed the lead when Ritter worked a walk and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice. Arcia added his third hit of the afternoon in the sixth inning, setting the table for more offense. By the time the bottom of the seventh rolled around, Colorado had built a 5–2 cushion, seemingly in control with the bullpen lined up behind Gordon.

The Cubs, however, refused to go quietly. Ian Happ delivered the game’s first true gut-punch in the eighth inning. With two runners aboard, the veteran outfielder launched a towering three-run homer to right-center, knotting the score at 5–5.

Fortunately for the Rockies, the ninth inning belonged to them. Juan Mejia set the stage by working a clean top half, mowing down the Cubs on just 11 pitches. Ritter then stepped into the box to lead off the bottom of the ninth and promptly smacked a single into center field, giving Colorado the spark it needed.

That brought Moniak to the plate, and the 27-year-old outfielder wasted no time. On a 1–1 count against Daniel Palencia, Moniak drove a line drive down the right-field line. Ritter was off on contact and raced around the bases, scoring easily as the ball rattled into the corner. By the time Moniak slid into third, his teammates were already spilling out of the dugout in celebration.

The Rockies will now turn the calendar to September with a bit of momentum and a chance to play spoiler down the stretch. San Francisco will come to town on Monday with Chase Dollander facing off against the Giants’ Kai-Wei Teng.