Rockies Hold On For 13-10 Victory Over The Yankees
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - The Colorado Rockies nearly gave it all back but with one swing Carlos Gonzalez restored some order at Coors Field.
Gonzalez capped a four-hit night with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Rockies nearly squandered a nine-run lead before holding on for a 13-10 victory over the New York Yankees.
Before Gonzalez's fourth hit, the Rockies held a 12-3 lead but Justin Miller and Miguel Castro combined to allow seven runs on eight singles in the eighth. The Yankees began their rally by getting a run-scoring single from newcomer Ike Davis and a two-run single by Jacoby Ellsbury, which chased Miller.
Castro loaded the bases by hitting Brett Gardner and Starlin Castro's slow runner scored two runs when the right-hander threw the ball past first base. Brian McCann's RBI grounder and Chase Headley's run-scoring single trimmed the lead to 12-10 and Castro was replaced by Jason Motte, who retired Didi Gregorius on a groundout to end the threat.
Two pitches after surviving the Yankees' threat, Gonzalez drove a 1-1 slider from left-hander Andrew Miller over the right-center field fence. It was Gonzalez's 14th home run and the first by a left-handed hitter off Miller, who held them to 4-for-24 with 14 strikeouts before Tuesday.
PHOTO GALLERY: Yankees 10, Rockies 13
"He threw me a fastball in for a ball and a fastball away for strike one," Gonzalez said. "He's a tough lefty with a great slider. I was 90 percent (sure) I was going to get a slider. He showed slider and threw it over the plate, and I was able to drive up the middle for a homer."
Carlos Estevez retired the side in order for his second save as the Rockies won their third straight and crept to within two games of .500 (31-33) for the first time since May 28.
The Yankees lost their third straight and have the same record as Colorado.
Jorge De La Rosa (3-4) allowed three singles in five scoreless innings while throwing 90 pitches in his return to the rotation, following three relief appearances. After going 1-4 with an 11.41 ERA in six starts, De La Rosa never set down New York in order, but got Starlin Castro on a double play after the Yankees opened the game with consecutive singles.
"I mixed my pitches better," De La Rosa said. "Before I was using just fastball-changeup. I tried to use everything and I used my fastball more; that set up the other pitches. I got tired a little bit. It's a long time _ I don't throw that many pitches. And they made me work. I was (in) 3-2 counts a lot."
The Rockies took a 4-0 lead in the fourth on back-to-back home runs by Trevor Story and Ryan Raburn.
Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi (6-3) allowed six runs and eight hits in four-plus innings. Eovaldi was chased after giving up Nolan Arenado's RBI double to left field which went off Brett Gardner's glove and gave Colorado a 6-0 lead.
Since he won six straight starts from May 7-29, Eovaldi has allowed 16 earned runs and 26 hits in 14 2/3 innings in his past three starts. His split-fingered fastball, responsible for a lot of swings and misses, has deserted Eovaldi
"That's what it's been feeling like these past three games," he said. "I've been trying to get to the point where it comes back, but the split's just been really bad lately. It's one of the things we're really going work on in between these next few starts."
Gregorius hit a three-run homer off Gonzalez Germen in the sixth that trimmed the Rockies' lead to 6-3.
Colorado tacked on three runs in its half of that inning and three more in the seventh, two on pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso's triple. It was the fourth straight inning in which the Rockies scored at least twice. At that point, they seemed to be waltzing to victory before the Yankees made it suspenseful.
NOTES: Rockies LF Gerardo Parra left the game in the third with a sprained left ankle. Shortstop Trevor Story went rolling into Parra in short left field as they chased a ball that Parra managed to hold. Parra was carted off the field. OF Brandon Barnes was pulled from Triple-A Albuquerque's game in the third and likely will replace Parra on the roster...Yankees 1B Ike Davis made his debut with the team with a pinch-hit single in the eighth. He stayed in the game and struck out in the ninth. Manager Joe Girardi said he planned to start the left-handed hitting Davis against right-handed pitchers and will have him in the lineup Wednesday. ... Yankees RF Carlos Beltran was not in the lineup due to soreness in his left knee. ... Yankees LHP Chasen Shreve (left shoulder AC joint sprain) began a rehab assignment Sunday and is scheduled to continue it on Wednesday and Friday. ... Rockies LHP Chris Rusin (left shoulder strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled retroactive to June 9, and RHP Miguel Castro was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to begin his third stint with the Rockies this season. ... Rockies C Tony Wolters (concussion) was reinstated and C Dustin Garneau was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP Christian Bergman (strained left oblique) threw a 40-pitch bullpen and is scheduled to throw a simulated game Friday at Miami.