Sterlin Thompson announces himself with two-homer debut
Rookie outfielder Sterlin Thompson went 3-for-4 with two first-inning blasts, the only bright spot in Colorado’s 8-6 defeat to Chicago.
Sterlin Thompson announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, clubbing his first two career home runs in the Colorado Rockies’ 8-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. The rookie right fielder led off the first inning with a 432-foot solo shot off Cubs starter Justin Steele, then tied the game in the third with a 410-foot two-run blast off reliever Rowan Wick. Thompson finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, accounting for all of Colorado’s runs in a game they never led.
His exit velocity on the second homer registered at 112 mph, per Statcast, placing it in the 98th percentile for all MLB batted balls this season. Chicago’s offense, fueled by a three-run seventh from Christopher Morel and a two-run eighth from Nico Hoerner, overpowered the Rockies’ pitching staff. The Cubs used a six-run outburst to erase an early 3-2 deficit and secure the win, but Thompson’s performance stole the spotlight.
