Story Ties Record For Homers By National League Rookie Before All-Star Break
DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - Trevor Story certainly didn't hurt his All-Star case Thursday night.
The Colorado shortstop hit two homers and drove in a career-high-tying four runs as the Rockies trampled the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 in the opener of a four-game series.
With 21 home runs, Story tied the record for homers by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He shares the mark with Dave Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001).
Story is one of five players vying to join the NL All-Star team via the Final Vote, which ends Friday.
Before Thursday, Story was 0-for-11 in three starts since returning from a bruised right middle finger, an injury that occurred when he was hit with a pitch June 26 and caused him to miss four of the next five games.
PHOTO GALLERY: Rockies 11, Phillies 2
"The past couple of nights I felt good out there," said Story, who had his third multi-homer game. "I just haven't had the results. You just simplify, keep working, trust my preparation in the cage and how it's going to translate to the field. Just keep working."
Rockies starter Chad Bettis pitched 6 2/3 innings, his longest outing in nine starts, and he allowed just two runs. He permitted seven hits, including a Ryan Howard homer in the second, and gave way to Boone Logan with runners on first and second in the seventh inning. Logan struck out Odubel Herrera to end that threat.
Bettis (7-6) got 12 outs on ground balls and struck out five with just one walk.
"When I would miss," Bettis said, "it's where I want to miss, not back up over the plate."
MLB.COM: Vote For Trevor Story (voting closes at 2 p.m. Friday)
Mark Reynolds also had four RBIs, his season high and one shy of his career high. He hit a solo homer in the second off Adam Morgan (1-7), who was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the game, and a three-run double in the seventh when the Rockies scored five runs and blew the game open against rookie reliever Edubray Ramos.
The win was just the second in 10 games for the Rockies, who went 1-5 on a road trip that ended Wednesday night.
The Phillies had won four straight games and eight of their previous nine. The loss was their fifth straight to the Rockies, their longest skid against Colorado since dropping six straight from May 30, 1999, to May 20, 2000.
Story hit a three-run homer in the third that extended the Rockies' lead to 5-1, then connected on a solo shot with two outs in the fifth to make it 6-2. Both blasts came against Morgan, who gave 16 home runs in 66 1/3 innings and posted a 6.65 ERA in 14 games, 12 starts.
Morgan started in place of Aaron Nola, who was given a breather before the All-Star break after going 0-4 with a 13.50 ERA in his past five starts.
Morgan, who gave up nine hits and six runs in five innings, will start at Lehigh Valley. He is 0-7 over his past nine starts. Morgan met with pitching coach Bob McClure and Phillies manager Pete Mackanin in Mackanin's office for about 35 minutes after the game.
"He's up in the zone too much," Mackanin said. "Like we told him, half the battle is throwing strikes, and he certainly throws a lot of strikes. He's just got to throw more quality strikes."
Morgan said he appreciated the candid conversation he had with McClure and Mackanin. Asked whether his confidence was shaken, Morgan said, "A little bit. But to me lately, it hasn't been fine. I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself, and this break coming up I feel like will be good. And also going down there and being able to work on things and not feel so much pressure -- like I say, it can only go up from here."
NOTES: Phillies 1B Ryan Howard's homer was the 370th of his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and Todd Helton for 78th all-time. ... Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez will participate in the Home Run Derby in San Diego on Monday. Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was invited and said he was tempted to participate but opted to decline. ... Colorado RHP Christian Bergman (left oblique strain) is scheduled to make his fourth rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Albuquerque. He threw 77 pitches in four innings in his last outing Monday. ... Phillies RHP Andrew Bailey (left hamstring strain) is scheduled to be activated Saturday when he is eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. ... Phillies RHP Aaron Nola, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday to give him a breather before the All-Star break, will throw a two-inning simulated game Saturday.
