DENVER (Interstat) — The Colorado Rockies, defying pregame projections that heavily favored the Houston Astros, erupted for five runs in a decisive second inning and rode a stellar relief performance from Zach Agnos to a 9-1 victory Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field.

The win, secured before an announced crowd of 15,189, evened the Rockies’ record at 6-6 and clinched a three-game series sweep of the Astros, who fell to 6-7. Interstat’s game simulator had projected an 8-4 Houston win, and its ELO system gave the Astros a 69.10 percent probability of victory. Instead, Colorado dominated from the outset.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the second inning, turning a 1-1 tie into a commanding Rockies lead from which Houston never recovered. The Astros had scratched across a run in the top of the frame on Brice Matthews’ two-out RBI single, but Colorado’s response was immediate and relentless against Houston starter AJ Blubaugh.

Troy Johnston led off with a double and Brenton Doyle followed with a bunt single. After a walk to Kyle Karros loaded the bases, Edouard Julien delivered the key blow, a two-run single through the left side to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. The Rockies then executed small ball perfectly, with Tyler Freeman’s sacrifice bunt and Mickey Moniak’s sacrifice fly plating another run. After two more walks reloaded the bases, Ezequiel Tovar laced a two-run double to center, capping the five-run outburst and chasing Blubaugh from the game.

That inning provided more than enough support for Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, who earned his first win of the season. Lorenzen navigated 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out four. He worked around traffic, stranding six Astros baserunners.

The Rockies added insurance runs in nearly every other inning. Hunter Goodman launched a solo home run, his second of the year, to left field in the fourth. They added a run in the sixth on TJ Rumfield’s sacrifice fly and another in the eighth on Johnston’s RBI single.

While the offense provided a steady onslaught, the standout performance came from the bullpen. After a rocky start to his season, reliever Zach Agnos delivered a crucial and dominant outing to seal the win. Entering with two outs in the sixth inning after the Astros had loaded the bases, Agnos inherited a tense situation but ended the threat by getting Christian Vázquez to ground out. He then proceeded to retire 10 of the final 11 Houston batters, pitching 3 1/3 perfect innings before allowing a two-out single in the ninth. He finished with two strikeouts to record his first save of the season. This performance was a stark turnaround from his recent outings, including a difficult appearance against these same Astros on Monday where he allowed four hits and two runs in just one-third of an inning.

For Houston, the loss continued a frustrating road trip. The Astros managed eight hits but went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. Blubaugh took the loss, falling to 1-2 after surrendering six runs on six hits and three walks in just 1 2/3 innings. The Astros’ bullpen, including Kai-Wei Teng, Christian Roa, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu, allowed three runs over the final 6 1/3 innings.

The victory gives Colorado momentum as they head to San Diego to open a four-game series with the Padres on Thursday. The Astros, meanwhile, will travel to Seattle for a four-game set against the Mariners beginning Friday, looking to halt a three-game skid. The two teams are scheduled to meet again next week for a three-game series in Houston.