Rockies fall behind early, score 5 in 9th to beat Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas - Brendan Rodgers’ go-ahead two-run double was Colorado’s only hit in a five-run ninth inning as the Rockies rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to beat the Texas Rangers 9-5 on Wednesday.
Rodgers, who homered in the fourth inning for Colorado’s first hit, doubled to the gap in left-center off Joe Barlow (0-2), the sixth of seven Texas relievers, following walks to pinch-hitter Elias Díaz and Connor Joe. The Rockies scored three more runs aided by four Rangers infield errors, three by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. The four errors tied a team record for one inning, and Lowe’s broke a club record for a player in one inning.
"Two big walks right there for me to put a good swing on it and drive some runners in," Rodgers said. "That turned the momentum right there, and we kept rolling."
Jhoulys Chacin (3-1), the fifth of six Colorado relievers, pitched two scoreless innings as the Rockies salvaged the finale of a three-game series and headed home following a 4-5 road trip.
After Rodgers’ one-out double gave Colorado a 6-5 lead, Charlie Blackmon reached on a fielding error by Lowe. Trevor Story reached on a fielder’s choice with a run scoring on third baseman Charlie Culberson’s throwing error. C.J. Cron grounded to shortstop for the second out. Ryan McMahon’s grounder to first resulted in two errors by Lowe, fielding and throwing, to score the final two runs.
"That last inning, I don’t even know how to describe it," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said.
Leody Taveras’ two-run double highlighted Texas’ five-run second, but the Rangers were held scoreless the rest of the way, with five hits and one walk. Their three-game winning streak ended; four is their season best.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland left with a left hip impingement after facing five batters. Freeland said he noticed while warming up that he couldn’t drive off the rubber and hoped it would ease enough for him to pitch effectively.
The Rockies were outhit 10-6 but were helped, in addition to Texas’ ninth-inning errors, by eight walks, four of which scored.
Taveras came into the series hitting .062 and hitless in his last 31 at-bats. He hit his first two homers of the season Monday and Tuesday, and finished 5-for-11 in the series with four RBIs, doubled twice and stole three bases.
Texas’ Kohei Arihara allowed only Rodgers’ home run in 3 1/3 innings in his first start since May 8.
Arihara, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list earlier Wednesday, threw 47 pitches in a planned short stint. He had surgery in late May on his pitching shoulder to repair an aneurysm.
COMFY, COZY
The National Weather Service reported a temperature of 100 degrees with a heat index of 107 in Arlington in the eighth inning. Inside second-year Globe Life Field with the roof closed, it was 72 degrees. ... The announced crowd of 14,747 was the Rangers’ smallest of the season.
SHORT HOPS
Rangers 2B Nick Solak extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a second-inning single, the game’s first hit. ... Cron had a 25-game on-base streak snapped. ... Joe reached base eight of 13 times in the series. … Texas lost in an opponent’s final at-bat for the 13th time.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (forearm tightness) was placed on the 10-day IL, one day after manager Bud Black expressed hope that Gray could return to the rotation on Thursday.
Rangers: RHP Spencer Howard (COVID-19 IL) will begin a rehab assignment with Round Rock on Thursday. ... OF Willie Calhoun (forearm fracture) will soon begin workouts in Arizona.
UP NEXT
Rockies RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (3-6, 6.08 ERA) will pitch Thursday’s home game against Atlanta to begin a four-game series.
Rangers RHP Glenn Otto, acquired in the July 29 trade that sent Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees, will open a three-game series in Anaheim against Angels RHP Shohei Ohtani (8-1, 3.00 ERA) on Friday. Otto limited Houston to two hits in five scoreless innings and got a no-decision in his big-league debut last Friday.