The Sports Xchange
Aug 6, 2017
DENVER -- Staring at another loss, the most heartbreaking yet on Philadelphia's current road trip, the Phillies rallied in the ninth Sunday off Colorado Rockies closer Greg Holland and won 3-2 on Cameron Rupp's two-run double.
The hit gave Rupp a measure of revenge since he was thrown out at the plate in the eighth and helped the Phillies break a five-game losing streak, all the losses coming on this trip. The Phillies also had a runner thrown out at home in the ninth.
The Rockies went ahead 2-1 on a two-out double in the seventh by Charlie Blackmon, his third double of the game. Pinch hitter Raimel Tapia walked with two outs in the seventh and stole second. Charlie Blackmon worked the count to 3-1 and then drove a changeup from Aaron Nola into the gap in left-center to score Tapia. It was Blackmon's third double of the game.
Rupp led off the eighth with an infield hit. Pinch hitter Andres Blanco sliced a double into the left-field corner off former Phillies reliever Pat Neshek. The ball hit the side wall and bounced around, and Rupp tried to score. However, left fielder Gerardo Parra threw the ball to shortstop Trevor Story, who nailed Rupp with a throw that got to catcher Ryan Hanigan ahead of Rupp's headfirst slide.
Blanco took third on the throw, and left-hander Mike Dunn came in to face Cesar Hernandez with the infield drawn in and walked him.
Dunn struck out Freddy Galvis but then went to 3-1 on Daniel Nava. Dunn came back with a called strike and then walked Nava to load the bases for Nick Williams, who took a first-pitch slider for a strike and then grounded to second.
Odubel Herrera hustled a single into a double to open the ninth against Holland (2-2) and moved to third on Maikel Franco's single. Hyun Soo Kim hit a grounder to Story, who threw out Herrera at the plate, but Rupp followed with a double to the gap in left-center.
Story led off the ninth with a bunt single against closer Hector Neris, who relieved Edubray Ramos (1-7). Alexi Amarista flied to right. Pinch hitter Pat Valaika took a third strike. Story stole second with pinch hitter Jonathan Lucroy in the process of drawing a walk. Neris got Blackmon to ground to first to end the game and earn his 11th save.
Franco hit his 17th homer in the second to tie the game at 1 for the Phillies after Nolan Arenado's broken-bat single to short right field gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the first. The hit scored Charlie Blackmon, who led off with a double.
Franco's homer was the only run in seven innings off Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman, who allowed four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts, one shy of his career-high. Hoffman had nine strikeouts June 4 at San Diego. The seven innings matched Hoffman's season-high, but it was the first time in five starts he went that far.
Hoffman set down 10 straight batters after Cameron Rupp's two-out double in the second, a string that ended Cesar Hernandez led off the sixth with a walk. But Freddy Galvis grounded into a 3-6-3 double play. Daniel Nava then doubled, an opposite-field poke that hit the foul line in short left field, but Nick Williams tapped a ball toward the mound that Hoffman fielded.
Nola retired eight straight batters before he walked Arenado to open the fourth, and he went to third when Carlos Gonzalez grounded a one-out single through shortstop. But Nola struck out Story and retired Amarista on a fly to center.
With two outs in the fifth, Blackmon lined an opposite-field double into the left-field corner. But Nola threw a curveball past Parra for a called third strike.
Nola gave up an infield single to Arenado to start the sixth. He tagged up and took second on Mark Reynolds' fly to deep center and moved to third on Gonzalez's grounder to the right side where the Phillies had shifted. But Nola struck out Story for the second straight at-bat.
NOTES: Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu was scratched from the lineup with a left triceps contusion, the result of getting hit with a pitch Saturday night. ... Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela will start Wednesday at Cleveland, taking the turn of injured LHP Kyle Freeland (left groin strain). ... Rockies LHP Jake McGee (mid-back strain) was reinstated from the DL, and RHP Shane Carle was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Phillies C Andrew Knapp caught a bullpen session. He is recovering from a right hand contusion, the result of getting hit on the hand with a foul tip Thursday.