Sterlin Thompson Delivers Dramatic Walk-Off Victory for Rockies Over Cubs

Jun 10, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Sterlin Thompson (30) is dumped with water after hitting a walk off single to beat the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Sterlin Thompson provided the heroics in the bottom of the ninth, lining a pinch-hit single to drive in the winning run and secure a 3-2 victory for the Colorado Rockies over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night in Denver.

TJ Rumfield delivered a critical home run as part of a multi-hit night, while Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar also contributed two hits each for the Rockies.

With the score deadlocked entering the final frame, Chicago’s Daniel Palencia (1-1) walked Troy Johnston to start the inning. Brett Sullivan followed with a single to right, setting the stage for Thompson’s decisive hit that sealed the win for Colorado.

Ian Happ homered for the Cubs, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the game. Despite a dominant performance from Shota Imanaga, Chicago suffered its third consecutive loss and seventh defeat in nine games, managing only five hits throughout the contest.

Colorado spent much of the evening trailing 1-0 until Rumfield’s two-run blast gave the Rockies the lead in the eighth. However, Happ quickly answered back, leading off the ninth with his 15th home run of the season to tie the game against Antonio Senzatela (6-0).

Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen was efficient through the first three frames before Pete Crow-Armstrong sparked a fourth-inning rally with a triple off the wall. Crow-Armstrong later scored on a groundout by Moises Ballesteros, giving the Cubs an early lead.

Chicago had another opportunity to extend their lead in the fifth after Nico Hoerner doubled and Dansby Swanson drew a walk. The Rockies escaped the jam when third baseman Kyle Karros made a spectacular leaping catch on a liner from Crow-Armstrong to maintain the one-run deficit.

Lorenzen finished his outing with five innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven and walking two.

Shota Imanaga turned in his strongest performance in nearly a month, tossing five scoreless innings. The outing provided much-needed stability for Imanaga, who had struggled in his previous four starts, allowing 26 combined runs and seeing his ERA rise from 2.32 to 4.74.

Imanaga’s only blemishes were a two-out hit to Rumfield in the first and a leadoff single by Goodman in the fourth; he finished with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Colorado’s offense began to stir in the sixth inning with consecutive two-out singles from Goodman and Tovar, though the rally ended when Cole Carrigg fouled out to close the frame.

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