The skies cleared, the temperatures rose, the snow melted, and the Rockies played a game of make-up baseball on a Thursday afternoon with the goal of ending their homestand with a win and snapping a six-game losing streak.
Thanks to excellent pitching and an unexpected hero, the Rockies did just that as they defeated the New York Mets at Coors Field, 6-2.
Happy Anniversary
Left-handed veteran José Quintana continued to settle in as a solid contributor in the Rockies’ pitching rotation. Quintana turned in his third straight
outing of allowing two runs or fewer while going at least five innings.
On the 14th anniversary of his Major League debut (originally with the Chicago White Sox), Quintana worked 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Two of those hits and both earned runs came in the second inning, where a leadoff walk and a single got Quintana into trouble early. A wild pitch and a single would plate two, but Quintana was sharp for the remainder of his outing. After giving up a two out single in the top of the sixth inning, he was lifted for reliever Juan Mejia, who ended the frame with a quick flyout.
After today, Quintana joins Tomoyuki Sugano and Chase Dollander as members of the Rockies’ rotation with a sub-4.00 ERA at this stage in the season.
Keeping It Close
The Rockies bullpen had another solid afternoon in relief of José Quintana, doing exactly what was needed and keeping the Mets off the scoreboard until the final pitch.
Juan Mejia struggled somewhat with his command and walked two batters, but he also tallied two strikeouts in his single inning of relief work. Meanwhile, Brennan Bernardino—entering the game with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh inning—took four pitches to record his out.
Antonio Senzatela—one of the league leaders in wins above replacement for relief pitchers—was tasked with recording the final six outs of the game. After a 1-2-3 eighth inning he entered the top of the ninth with a lead. After a leadoff walk and a bloop single by Mets top prospect Carson Benge, he quickly locked in. Senzatela struck out his next two hitters before the final out was recorded via a popout.
His ERA for the season now sits at just 1.11 in 24.1 innings of work.
The Ballad of Jake the Snake
For much of this series against the Mets, the problem for the Rockies has been a failure to score runs and a failure to capitalize on opportunities to do so. The Rockies found themselves down late in a low-scoring affair despite strong performances from the pitching staff. Mickey Moniak’s hitting streak was brought to an end and all seemed quiet.
Then Jake McCarthy happened.
You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t expected much of McCarthy. The off-season trade acquisition from the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a cold start. Through his first 15 games in a Rockies uniform he hit just .200/.300/.314 with two doubles and a triple. He had drawn a decent number of walks and limited his strikeouts, but overall there just wasn’t much to talk about with his at-bats.
However, McCarthy’s bat had quietly started to click over the last few weeks. Coming into this afternoon, he was hitting .333/.382/.600 over the last 12 contests with three doubles and a triple. He hit his first home run of the season last night, and had drawn three walks to three strikeouts.
This afternoon, McCarthy was responsible for tying the game. In the bottom of the sixth with runners in scoring position he blooped a double into center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Rockies had the bases loaded thanks to back-to-back singles by TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston combined with a Willi Castro walk. The Rockies needed something they had struggled to get from their hitters all season: a clutch hit.
McCarthy delivered, slugging a high fly ball over the right field wall for—after being reviewed for potentially going foul—a grand slam. It was the Rockies’ first home run worth three or more runs of the season.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies are headed to the City of Brotherly Love (and cheesesteaks) for a three game set against the Philadelphia Phillies. Chase Dollander will be making the start without an opener against Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo.
First pitch is scheduled for 4:40 PM MDT.
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