Aug 12, 2020

Rockies sneak by Snakes, Blackmon hitting .500!

Posted Aug 12, 2020 3:23 PM

DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon raised his batting average to an amazing .500 with three more hits, including a key double during a six-run burst in the eighth inning that led the Colorado Rockies over the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 Tuesday night.

After starting out the year 0 for 9, Blackmon has hit in 15 straight games. He's 34 for 68 through 17 games in the coronavirus-shortened 60-game season.

“It’s special to watch. He’s in a great place right now mentally and physically," Trevor Story said of Blackmon. "He hits the ball so hard. He’s just driving it. It’s cool to see what he can do in the three spot.”

Blackmon doubled off Kevin Ginkel (0-1) during the Rockies' big inning that made it 8-2.

The Diamondbacks rallied for five runs in the ninth and had runners on first and third with two outs. Daniel Bard fanned pinch hitter Stephen Vogt to end it and earn his first save since 2011 while with the Boston Red Sox. It was his sixth career save overall.

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer and Raimel Tapia added three hits, including a two-run double in the eighth for Colorado.

Carlos Estevez (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth for the victory. Christian Walker and Carson Kelly each homered for the Diamondbacks.

Trailing 2-1, Arizona tied it when Kelly led off the seventh with his first home run of the season.

Colorado had gone in front 2-1 when Arenado followed Blackmon's second single of the night with a fourth-inning drive off Zac Gallen that soared into the stand of evergreens behind the center field fence. Walker, who hit 29 home runs as a rookie for the Diamondbacks last season, connected for his first of the season leading off the fourth inning to put Arizona up 1-0.

Gallen went seven innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, with seven strikeout and no walks. He set an NL record by allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his first 19 starts. He eclipsed Steve Rogers of Montreal who didn't allow more than three earned runs in each of his first 18 career starts. Kyle Freeland went seven innings for Colorado and allowed two runs on seven hits. He struck out two and walked one. 

Major League Action Tuesday

— Eloy Jimenez hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and the Chicago White Sox snapped Detroit’s four-game wining streak with an 8-4 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night. Edwin Encarnacion also went deep for the White Sox, who won for only the second time in seven games. Austin Romine hit a two-run shot for Detroit. Jose Abreu had three hits, including a pair of RBI doubles. Gio Gonzalez was pulled one out shy of the win. He allowed two runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. Matt Foster was credited with the win after striking out four in two perfect innings.

—Manny Machado slugged a grand slam after two consecutive errors by the Dodgers in the third inning, Garrett Richards won for the first time in two years, and the San Diego Padres defeated Los Angeles 6-2. The Padres have taken the first two games of the series after dropping two of three to the Dodgers last week in San Diego, and have won a season-best three in a row overall.

— Nick Solak singled three times and drove in three runs, leading the Texas Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Solak had a two-run single in the first and an RBI hit in third, when Willie Calhoun added another run-scoring single. Left-hander Mike Minor allowed an infield single and three walks with four strikeouts in four scoreless innings. He was pulled after 76 pitches.

—In the first major league game in Buffalo since 1915, Travis Shaw hit an RBI single in the 10th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays settled into their new nest with a 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins. Barred from playing in Toronto by the Canadian government over concerns about the coronavirus, the wandering Blue Jays spent nearly three weeks on the road before moving into the ballpark of their Triple-A affiliate as their temporary home this year.

—Mike Brosseau led off the game with a home run, Yandy Díaz and Hunter Renfroe each had two RBIs and the Tampa Bay Rays continued their offensive onslaught against the Boston Red Sox in an 8-2 win Tuesday night. Brosseau, Diaz and Manuel Margot had multi-hit games as Tampa Bay won its fourth straight game. The Rays had a season-high 16 hits in an 8-7 win Monday. Boston has lost seven of its last 10 games.

—Joey Votto doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds blew another late lead before rallying for a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The Royals tied it 5-5 in the eighth on Ryan McBroom’s pinch-hit, two-run homer off Amir Garrett, but they couldn’t keep their four-game winning streak going.

—Jon Lester pitched six strong innings and Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 7-1 win over Cleveland. The Indians welcomed back manager Terry Francona after he missed eight games with a medical issue. Lester allowed one run and three hits as the Cubs, who hadn’t played in four days, moved to 11-3 for the first time since 2016. The Indians put pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac on the restricted list after they broke team rules and went out in Chicago, exposing themselves to COVID-19.

—Austin Hays hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer in the 10th inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 10-9 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Bryce Harper hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth and Jean Segura gave the Phillies a 6-5 lead with a solo shot two outs later.

— Aaron Judge dented an advertisement with a scorching home run before making an unusual early exit, Jordan Montgomery pitched efficiently against a lineup missing its brightest star and the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 9-6. Atlanta scratched Ronald Acuña Jr. about 90 minutes before first pitch with a sore left wrist. The 2018 NL Rookie of the Year homered three times during a doubleheader Sunday against Philadelphia but was pulled early in a blowout loss Monday.

-- Max Scherzer showed no effects of hamstring trouble, navigating heavy traffic early for his first win this season. And Trea Turner hit a record-breaking leadoff homer to help the Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 2-1. Victor Robles blooped an RBI single for the Nationals, who took the first two in a four-game series between NL East rivals. New York dropped to 3-7 at home this season.

— Jedd Gyorko blasted a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers came from behind to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 . The Brewers started their winning rally when Christian Yelich beat the Twins’ shift with a one-out double. Eddie Rosario of the Twins and Manny Pina of the Brewers each hit two home runs. Minnesota’s Jorge Polanco and Milwaukee’s Avisail Garcia also homered.