The Rockies did a lot of things right against the Phillies on Monday night. But, per usual, their wrongs wiped out their rights.
Philadelphia scored seven runs in its last two at-bats to rally for a 9-3 win at Coors Field before a red-clad crowd that frequently broke into chants of “Let’s go Phillies!”
And so the Rockies’ road to baseball infamy continued unabated. The Rockies’ 8-39 record is the worst in the modern era (since 1901) through 47 games.
Philly, being Philly, rubbed it in — big time — in the ninth. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber launched a 466-foot solo homer off the third-deck facade in right field off Scott Alexander for the 300th home run of his career. And the Phillies weren’t done beating up Alexander. Edmundo Sosa ripped a two-run homer to left to make it 9-3.
The game was actually settled in the eighth when the Phillies basted right-hander Seth Halvorsen. Alec Bohm’s 428-foot, two-run homer to dead center put Philly ahead 4-3. Singles by Sosa and Brandon Marsh set the table for Trea Turner’s two-run double past a diving Brenton Doyle in center field.
The night started out with promise for Colorado.
Veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland gave the Rockies the start they needed. Pitching with precision rather than firepower, he held the Phillies to one run over 5 1/3 innings. He left with a 2-1 lead, scattering seven hits, striking out six and walking two. His off-speed pitchers were particularly effective. He fanned the dangerous Schwarber on a knuckle curve in the third and caught Schwarber looking at a fastball in the fifth.
Philly did crack Freeland for a run earlier in the fifth. Turner laced a triple into the right field corner and scored on Bryce Harper’s single to left. It was a terrific piece of hitting by Harper. Freeland’s 0-2 sweeper was well outside the strike zone, but Harper reached out and flicked the ball the opposite way.
Tovar’s 418-foot solo homer in the first inning gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. Tovar ripped lefty Cristopher Sanchez’s 1-0 slider deep into the left-field bleachers. It was Tovar’s second homer of the season, the other Saturday night at Arizona. He didn’t play on Sunday.
Colorado extended its lead to 2-0 in the third. Jordan Beck sliced a ball into right-center for a two-out, hustle double. He was rewarded with Tovar’s RBI single to right field.
Colorado extended its lead to 3-1 in the sixth on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Michael Toglia and Doyle off Sanchez. Philly’s lefty was charged with three runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked none.
But Philly countered in the seventh off reliever Jake Bird, cutting Colorado’s lead to 3-2. Marsh, pinch-hitting, led off with a single, and Turner reached when Bird threw the ball into center field for an error, trying to force Marsh at second. Marsh advanced to third on the error and scored on Harper’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
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