Six-run inning propels Rockies past Blue Jays
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies erupted for six runs in the seventh inning Monday night and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5.
This is just the Blue Jays' third trip to Coors Field, where they have played and lost seven games. This one was close for six innings with the Blue Jays building a 4-0 lead thanks to Devon Travis' homer in the first and Edwin Encarnacion's three-run shot with two outs in the sixth.
In the bottom of the inning, Carlos Gonzalez got those three runs back with one swing when he lofted a three-run homer to right. Starter Marco Estrada walked leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon and Crishtian Adames followed with a double to left. With one out, Gonzalez hit his 17th homer and his 189th with the Rockies, enabling him to pass Troy Tulowitzki for fifth all-time in Rockies history.
Tulowitzki returned to Coors Field for the first time since the Rockies traded him to the Blue Jays on July 27 but had a quiet night. He went 0-for-4 and didn't hit the ball out of the infield.
Nolan Arenado put the Rockies ahead 5-4 with a two-run single in the seventh as the Rockies capitalized on Drew Storen's wildness. After taking over for starter Marco Estrada, Storen gave up leadoff single to Brandon Barnes, who was sacrificed to second. Storen (1-3) hit Charlie Blackmon in the upper back with a 1-2 pitch and then hit Adames in the right knee with an 0-2 pitch before Arenado's single gave the Rockies their first lead of the game.
Jesse Chavez relieved Storen, and Gonzalez lined a single to center that loaded the bases and forced in a run by walking Mark Reynolds. Daniel Descalso sliced a two-run single to left, and Barnes, batting for the second time in the inning, doubled home a run off the left-field wall.
Encarnacion homered in the ninth off Jason Motte, giving him 24 career multi-homer games and three this season.
The two home runs Gray allowed matched his career high. It was the fourth time he has yielded two homers in a game and third time this season. But Gray worked seven innings for the first time in three starts and allowed five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. And Gray (5-3) earned his first win in four starts since June 5 when the Rockies struck in the seventh.
Estrada allowed five hits and three runs in six innings, extending his major league record of 12 consecutive starts in which he held opponents to five hits or fewer while pitching at least six innings.
Tulowitzki returned to Coors Field for the first time since the Rockies traded him to the Blue Jays on July 27. Tulowitzki and the Rockies were in Chicago at the time of the trade.
When Tulowitzki stepped to the plate for the first time in the second, catcher Nick Hundley, respectful of the moment, walked halfway to the mound to let Tulowitzki bask in the crowd's affection. He received a loud 30-second ovation and doffed his helmet in several directions before stepping in the batter's box. Tulowitzki then struck out on eight pitches, taking a slider for strike three.
He led off the fifth on his second at-bat and grounded to shortstop on four pitches.
Devon Travis homered with one out in the first. It was his fifth homer and his fourth in 13 games since being reinstated from the disabled list.
That was the only hit Gray allowed through five innings as he struck out six, didn't issue a walk and showed no ill effects of the shoulder fatigue that limited him to four innings and played havoc with his control -- 80 pitches, 40 strikes -- in his last start Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
After Travis' homer, Gray retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced.
Estrada gave up a first-inning single to Adames and retired 12 straight batters before Brandon Barnes singled to center with two outs in the fifth. Estrada had one walk and seven strikeouts through five scoreless innings.
NOTES: Rockies SS Trevor Story was not in the lineup after getting hit on his right middle finger with a pitch in the ninth inning Sunday. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon was named National League Player of the Week after hitting .424 (13-for-33) with five homers and nine RBIs. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu was not in the lineup. He left Sunday's game in the sixth inning after bruising his left knee diving for a ground ball. An MRI on Monday revealed no structural damage. ... The Blue Jays entered the game 0-6 at Coors Field, where they last played in 2010. They are 9-0 against the Rockies in Toronto. ... Rockies LHP Jake McGee (sprained left knee) completed a series of fielding drills without difficulty and is scheduled to pitch one inning Tuesday for Class A Modesto on a planned two-game rehab assignment. ... Blue Jays 1B Justin Smoak was available to pinch hit after sitting out all three games over the weekend in Chicago with a bruised and swollen left knee, the result of fouling a pitch off his leg Wednesday.