The Colorado Rockies welcomed the Chicago Cubs to Coors Field on Friday night with hopes of carrying some late-season momentum into the final stretch of August. Instead, they ran headfirst into a Cubs lineup powered by Dansby Swanson, whose historic night at the plate propelled Chicago to an 11–7 victory.

All eyes were on Germán Márquez, who was making his first start since July 20 after returning from the injured list. The right-hander, a longtime anchor of Colorado’s rotation, was tasked with setting the tone in the opener. Unfortunately, his outing went about as poorly as the Rockies could have imagined. Márquez struggled to find his command early, giving up steady traffic on the bases. He surrendered eight runs on nine hits, including two home runs, and three walks across just 4 1/3 innings.

The bullpen didn’t fare much better as Jaden Hill allowed a bases-clearing triple to Swanson that broke the game wide open. By the time the inning was over, the Cubs had plated six runs and effectively put the Rockies in a hole they couldn’t escape.

The story of the night was undoubtedly Swanson. The Cubs’ shortstop finished with three hits, six RBIs, and two home runs in one of the best offensive performances of his career. His solo shot in the second inning got Chicago on the board, and he followed it up with another homer in the fourth to extend the lead. The decisive blow, though, came in the fifth, when he cleared the bases with a triple to right-center.

Swanson’s production was more than enough, but he wasn’t alone. Ian Happ added a home run and a double, while Michael Busch also left the yard. By the middle innings, the Cubs had built an insurmountable advantage against Colorado’s struggling arms.

Despite the deficit, the Rockies’ offense didn’t go quietly. Rookie Yanquiel Fernández provided a spark with a two-run homer, his third of the season, and later added a double. Kyle Farmer contributed with a two-run shot in the eighth inning. Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle, and Kyle Karros each chipped in RBI hits.

The issue, however, was timing. Colorado had plenty of baserunners but couldn’t convert in the key moments, finishing just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position. In total, the Rockies stranded 10 runners, a glaring problem that kept their late rally from ever posing a true threat.

On the other side, rookie right-hander Cade Horton gave Chicago exactly what it needed. The highly touted prospect went five innings, allowing just two runs while striking out four.

For the Rockies, the loss was another reminder of the struggles that have plagued them throughout 2025. Márquez’s rough return was particularly disappointing, as the team had hoped he could provide stability to a rotation that injuries and inconsistency had battered. Offensively, the flashes of power from Fernández and Farmer offered some positives, but the continued inability to deliver in clutch situations remains a major hurdle.

The series continues Saturday night at Coors Field. Colorado will send right-hander McCade Brown (0–1, 9.82 ERA) to the mound while Javier Assad (0-1, 3.86 ERA)will pitch for the Cubs.