Story's clutch hits help Rockies beat Marlins
The Sports Xchange
Sep 27, 2017
DENVER -- Trevor Story made the Miami Marlins pay dearly on Wednesday.
The Marlins intentionally walked Nolan Arenado twice to get to the Colorado shortstop, and each time Story foiled the strategy with a two-run hit, helping the Rockies pound the Marlins 15-9 in the rubber game of their series.
The win helped the Rockies move closer to a postseason berth for the first time since 2009.
The Rockies (86-73) lead the Milwaukee Brewers (83-74) by two games and the St. Louis Cardinals (82-75) by three in the chase for the second National League wild-card spot. Both the Brewers and Cardinals were scheduled to play games later Wednesday.
After driving in three runs Tuesday, Story had four RBIs Wednesday, raising his total for the season to 80. He had a two-run single in the six-run second inning and a two-run double in Colorado's three-run fourth. Story has hit safely in six straight games and 16 of his past 18.
Ian Desmond had a season-high-tying four RBIs, hitting a three-run homer in the second and driving in a run with a two-out single in the fourth as the Rockies backed Jon Gray (10-4), who worked six innings and gave up three runs. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 consecutive starts, one shy of the franchise record set by Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010.
Getting hits with runners in scoring position has been a problem lately for the Rockies, who had lost six of nine games entering Wednesday and had gone 11-for-58 (.190) with runners in scoring position during that stretch. They went 9-for-17 in such situations in this romp and took advantage of the Marlins' shoddy pitching. Seven of the 10 Rockies who walked ended up scoring, and they batted around twice.
The Rockies sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run second that put them ahead 6-0. Adam Conley (7-8) walked two batters to start the inning, and Desmond followed by lofting a three-run homer into the right-field stands, his seventh homer of the season.
After giving up a walk and a bloop single, Conley got his only out of the inning when Gray sacrificed. Conley then failed to cover first on Charlie Blackmon's run-scoring single to first baseman Justin Bour and was lifted in favor of Vance Worley.
With two outs, Worley intentionally walked Nolan Arenado, and Story, who hit a three-run homer Tuesday, grounded a two-run single up the middle. Conley gave up three hits, three walks and six runs in 1 1/3 innings and threw 18 of 36 pitches for strikes.
Gray gave up two singles to start the fourth and allowed a run on Derek Dietrich's one-out grounder to second that was hit too slowly to turn a double play. A.J. Ellis followed with his sixth homer, an opposite-field drive to left that cut the Rockies' lead to 6-3.
Story doubled home two runs with one out in the fourth after an infield single by DJ LeMahieu and another intentional walk to Arenado, and Desmond followed with a single up the middle to make it 9-3.
Gray allowed six hits and three runs with no walks and five strikeouts and retired the final seven batters he faced. In his past 13 starts, Gray is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA with 16 walks and 81 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings.
Carlos Gonzalez doubled home two runs in the five-run sixth after consecutive two-out walks. After yet another walk, pinch hitter Raimel Tapia doubled home two runs, and Blackmon followed with a run-scoring single to make it 14-3 as the Rockies again sent 10 batters to the plate. The Marlins scored seven runs in the final two innings, including three in the ninth when they greeted Jeff Hoffman with four straight doubles and clipped him with four runs.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 57 home runs, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He went 1-for-12 in the series and hit just two balls to the outfield. ... Rockies OF Gerardo Parra, who has one hit in his past 21 at-bats, was not in the lineup for the second straight game. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon's two hits gave him 66 multi-hit games, tying him for the most in franchise history with Dante Bichette, in 1998. Blackmon drove in three runs, giving him 100 RBIs for the season. ... Rockies LF Ian Desmond hit his seventh homer and second at Coors Field. The other was on June 16 off San Francisco's Jeff Samardzija. ... Marlins LHP Adam Conley, who lasted 1 2/3 innings in his last start, was knocked out after 1 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his career in a game not delayed by rain.
Sep 27, 2017
DENVER -- Trevor Story made the Miami Marlins pay dearly on Wednesday.
The Marlins intentionally walked Nolan Arenado twice to get to the Colorado shortstop, and each time Story foiled the strategy with a two-run hit, helping the Rockies pound the Marlins 15-9 in the rubber game of their series.
The win helped the Rockies move closer to a postseason berth for the first time since 2009.
The Rockies (86-73) lead the Milwaukee Brewers (83-74) by two games and the St. Louis Cardinals (82-75) by three in the chase for the second National League wild-card spot. Both the Brewers and Cardinals were scheduled to play games later Wednesday.
After driving in three runs Tuesday, Story had four RBIs Wednesday, raising his total for the season to 80. He had a two-run single in the six-run second inning and a two-run double in Colorado's three-run fourth. Story has hit safely in six straight games and 16 of his past 18.
Ian Desmond had a season-high-tying four RBIs, hitting a three-run homer in the second and driving in a run with a two-out single in the fourth as the Rockies backed Jon Gray (10-4), who worked six innings and gave up three runs. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 consecutive starts, one shy of the franchise record set by Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010.
Getting hits with runners in scoring position has been a problem lately for the Rockies, who had lost six of nine games entering Wednesday and had gone 11-for-58 (.190) with runners in scoring position during that stretch. They went 9-for-17 in such situations in this romp and took advantage of the Marlins' shoddy pitching. Seven of the 10 Rockies who walked ended up scoring, and they batted around twice.
The Rockies sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run second that put them ahead 6-0. Adam Conley (7-8) walked two batters to start the inning, and Desmond followed by lofting a three-run homer into the right-field stands, his seventh homer of the season.
After giving up a walk and a bloop single, Conley got his only out of the inning when Gray sacrificed. Conley then failed to cover first on Charlie Blackmon's run-scoring single to first baseman Justin Bour and was lifted in favor of Vance Worley.
With two outs, Worley intentionally walked Nolan Arenado, and Story, who hit a three-run homer Tuesday, grounded a two-run single up the middle. Conley gave up three hits, three walks and six runs in 1 1/3 innings and threw 18 of 36 pitches for strikes.
Gray gave up two singles to start the fourth and allowed a run on Derek Dietrich's one-out grounder to second that was hit too slowly to turn a double play. A.J. Ellis followed with his sixth homer, an opposite-field drive to left that cut the Rockies' lead to 6-3.
Story doubled home two runs with one out in the fourth after an infield single by DJ LeMahieu and another intentional walk to Arenado, and Desmond followed with a single up the middle to make it 9-3.
Gray allowed six hits and three runs with no walks and five strikeouts and retired the final seven batters he faced. In his past 13 starts, Gray is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA with 16 walks and 81 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings.
Carlos Gonzalez doubled home two runs in the five-run sixth after consecutive two-out walks. After yet another walk, pinch hitter Raimel Tapia doubled home two runs, and Blackmon followed with a run-scoring single to make it 14-3 as the Rockies again sent 10 batters to the plate. The Marlins scored seven runs in the final two innings, including three in the ninth when they greeted Jeff Hoffman with four straight doubles and clipped him with four runs.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 57 home runs, went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He went 1-for-12 in the series and hit just two balls to the outfield. ... Rockies OF Gerardo Parra, who has one hit in his past 21 at-bats, was not in the lineup for the second straight game. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon's two hits gave him 66 multi-hit games, tying him for the most in franchise history with Dante Bichette, in 1998. Blackmon drove in three runs, giving him 100 RBIs for the season. ... Rockies LF Ian Desmond hit his seventh homer and second at Coors Field. The other was on June 16 off San Francisco's Jeff Samardzija. ... Marlins LHP Adam Conley, who lasted 1 2/3 innings in his last start, was knocked out after 1 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his career in a game not delayed by rain.
