SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Two runs down in the third inning of Thursday afternoon’s 6-4 loss to the White Sox at Salt River Fields, the Rockies’ Sean Bouchard found the sweet spot of impressing without trying to be impressive.

Bouchard’s two-out single drove in the go-ahead run and capped a four-run inning. Charlie Blackmon's two-out hit sparked the frame, but that’s not breaking news. He’s heading into his 11^th season with the Rockies for a reason.

But the rest of the inning consisted of patient plate appearances by players either trying to increase their roles, make the team or in the case of Coco Montes, whose one-out walk started it all, vying to be a candidate to get a Major League shot sometime this season.

Elehuris Montero and Michael Toglia also added RBI singles. Bouchard, whose patience during last year’s late-season callup, took his turn with two on. It all came against noted White Sox starter Lance Lynn.

Bouchard resisted the urge to swing big.

“I’m human,” Bouchard said, smiling. “You’d like to think if you hit a home run one day, you can hit one every day. But at the same time, this game will humble you more so than anything else. At the end of the day, you’ve got to take a step back and realize you’ve got to take what this game gives you.”

It’s March 2, but the inning was significant because of the players who made it happen. Non-roster candidate Cole Tucker, trying to regain his footing after struggling under big expectations with the Pirates (.573 OPS in 154 games), started it with a solid single through the middle to continue his notable spring.

Montero is potentially a much-needed power bat who gives manager Bud Black options. The switch-hitting Toglia, a former first-round choice by the Rockies and 23rd overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, hopes to put the ball in play more frequently than during his brief debut last year. Bouchard went from being barely noticed last spring to earning a role because of his .454 on-base percentage in 27 games.

Blackmon was the only certain regular in the lineup, but that’s OK given the Rockies’ plan to spread starts around to reduce early-season fatigue, especially during homestands in Denver’s taxing atmosphere. When Black calls a player’s name, he wants cool-headed control, not starry-eyed impatience.

“That’s what you hope for, guys that put their best foot forward in these exhibition games, to show what they can do, whether it’s on defense, whether it’s an at-bat -- just the quality of the game they want to play,” Black said.

Tucker’s hit highlighted a 1-for-2 day as he started in center field. He homered two games ago against the Rangers and has a .364 average and .462 OBP through his first six games. Sometimes simple patience makes as much of an impression as power.

“It’s been fun to feel that confidence,” said Tucker, who built a strong relationship with Rockies player development director Chris Forbes during his amateur days. “We’re emotional, very vulnerable people although we may not seem like it in uniform when we’re on the field. We’re all human.”

Too soon

Ryan McMahon was a Gold Glove finalist the previous two seasons at third base, but he also played a strong second base earlier in his career. But whether he will move to second because of fellow Gold Glove winner Brendan Rodgers’ possible season-ending left shoulder injury was not a subject he had any interest in broaching.

“Guys are just more upset for him [Rodgers],” McMahon said. “I’m sure we’ll figure out how to proceed. It’s tough to lose a guy like that, especially since he was really starting to put it together -- offensively, defensively, everything.”

Athletic ability on display

Hunter Goodman, ranked as the Rockies’ No. 24 prospect by MLB Pipeline entering Spring Training (the new list will be released soon), hit 36 home runs across three Minor League levels, primarily as a catcher. But Goodman has a history of playing all over the field. On Thursday, Goodman was in left field and ended the seventh inning with a throw to the plate to retire Jose Rodriguez.

“Our player development staff is extremely high on him, for a number of reasons,” Black said. “There’s a big bat in there that we think eventually is going to get to the big leagues.”

Stretching

With lefty reliever Lucas Gilbreath expected to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2023 season, the Rockies will likely go with another left-hander alongside Brent Suter. A candidate could be non-roster invitee Logan Allen, who has pitched as a starter and a reliever with the Padres, Guardians and Orioles. Black stretched him to a pair of scoreless innings and he allowed two hits with a strikeout.