Rockies Snap Losing Skid, Beat Rangers In Back & Forth Game
ARLINGTON, Texas (The Sports Xchange) - Carlos Gonzalez's pinch-hit double drove in three to highlight a five-run eighth inning in the Colorado Rockies' 12-9 marathon victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday afternoon.
Colorado snapped a four-game losing skid by sending nine men to the plate in the inning, rocking Rangers relievers Jake Diekman and Matt Bush, who surrendered the runs on four hits, two walks and a wild pitch.
Tony Wolters and rookie David Dahl each had RBIs. Dahl extended his hitting streak to 17 games to match the major-league record for longest to begin a major-league career, tying the Reds' Chuck Aleno in 1941.
Right-hander Scott Oberg (1-1) earned the victory and Adam Ottavino struck out the side in the ninth to register his first save of the season. Diekman (3-2) gave up three runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
Gonzalez, who had missed the previous two games with a swollen left ankle, drove Bush's pitch to the gap in left-center field, scoring Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado and Dahl, who reached a historic milestone on a day the temperature reached 105 degrees.
Blackmon, who was 4-for-6, belted his eighth leadoff home run of the season and added a double that drove in another run in the fourth. Mark Reynolds, who left the game with an apparent injury, drove in two runs in Colorado's three-run third.
In four games against Texas this week, Blackmon was 11-for-19 with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs and seven runs scored.
The loss snapped the Rangers' five-game winning streak.
Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run eighth inning, capped by Elvis Andrus' two run double.
Beltre's 18th home run of the season was also the 431st of his career and tied him for 47th place all-time with Cal Ripken. With two RBIs, Beltre moved ahead of Joe DiMaggio for sole possession of 47th all-time with 1,539.
Rougned Odor had a triple and home run and three RBIs, while Ian Desmond knocked in two runs.
Diekman and Bush, who gave up two runs on a hit and two walks in two-thirds of an inning, weren't the only ones who took a beating. The teams' pitchers combined to give up 29 hits, 10 walks, five wild pitches and two hit batters.
The starters' pitching lines resembled a busy slot machine.
Colorado's Chad Bettis entered with a four-game winning streak and for the first time in eight starts he didn't work into the sixth. Bettis gave up five runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two in 110 pitches over five innings.
Lucas Harrell, who was making his third start with Texas since being acquired in a trade from Atlanta last month, threw 118 pitches in six innings, giving up six runs on nine hits while striking out a season-high eight batters.
Harrell gave up a leadoff homer to Blackmon and then loaded the bases with one out after walking Arenado and hitting Reynolds with a pitch. Harrell regained control, however, striking out the next two hitters to get out of the inning.
In fact, he went on to strike out four in a row by getting the first two hitters of the second. But that's where the comparisons to Roger Clemens ended.
Reynolds' two-run double was the key hit in the Rockies' three-run third, and Blackmon's RBI double scored Wolters in a two-run fourth.
The Rangers matched those run totals by sending nine men to the plate in their three-run third.
Desmond, Odor and Beltre all had RBIs. Odor's two-run double in the fourth cut Texas' deficit to one.
NOTES: Colorado RHP Chad Qualls (stomach ailment) will begin a rehabilitation assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Albuquerque. He's scheduled to throw again on Monday. "Everything is back to normal," said the 37-year-old Qualls, who has lost 16 pounds. "I have never had my guts hurt like that." ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez sat out a third consecutive game with a swollen ankle, but he was available for pinch-hitting duty, manager Walt Weiss said. Gonzalez, who has a 17-game hitting streak, stretched and did some outfield sprints before the game. ... Texas RHP Derek Holland (60-day DL, shoulder) was back in Arlington after a minor-league rehab start at Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. He threw 77 pitches in three innings and a bullpen session afterward without issue. "Everything went where it needed to go," Holland said. "Started slow with location ... everything was up. It was still a really good outing. I thought I did a good job of executing."
