The Colorado Rockies were desperate to break an eight-game losing streak as they faced the San Diego Padres in the second game of a four-game stand.
Cole Carrigg hit his first homer in the third, but the Rally Squirrel that appeared on the auxiliary scoreboard in the fifth inning turbocharged everything.
The Carrigg-Squirrel duo had help from a third partner: Ryan Feltner in a sparkling relief performance.
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Turn the page on the losing streak: The Rockies won 9-3 to tie their series with a Padres team looking to clinch a postseason spot.
Cole Carrigg set the tone
The game did not get off to the start Kyle Freeland had hoped for.
When facing Fernando Tatís Jr., the leadoff batter, Freeland surrendered a home run on the second pitch he threw.
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It was Tatís Jr’s 23rd homer of the year.
Before the Rockies had even managed an out, they were down, 1-0.
Things did not improve in the second inning when Luis Campusano stepped to the plate and led off the second with a homer, à la Tatís Jr.
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After the Rockies entered their half of the second inning down, 2-0.
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They threatened by loading the bases with one out as Walker Buehler’s pitch count climbed. (Yes, TJ Rumfield hit a single, so his on-base streak is up to 20 games.) However, a double play that involved a base-running mistake by Kyle Karros ended the threat.
By the end of the third inning, the Padres had already accumulated seven hits.
Carrigg, however, did some encores of his own. In Game 1, he hit his eighth home run; in Game 2, he hit another, his ninth, this time with Adael Amador on base, to tie the game.
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Freeland had clean third and fourth innings, before history repeated itself in the fifth when Austin Hays led off with another single-shot home run.
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With the score 3-2 Padres, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer went to his bullpen.
Tonight, Ryan Feltner followed up Freeland by allowing one hit but no runs to retire the side.
Buehler started the fifth for the Padres and got two outs. However, after Carrigg hit a double (now just a triple shy of the cycle), that was it for Buehler. His final line: 4.2 IP with two runs (earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out one.
Wandy Peralta entered in relief and hit Rumfield with a pitch, leaving runners on first and second with two outs. However, Karros lined out to short to end the inning and the threat.
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In the fifth inning, the Rockies offense got serious.
Mickey Moniak led off with a triple followed by a Troy Johnston RBI double, tying the score at three. After that came a Brett Sullivan single to score Johnston, and the Rockies had their first lead of the evening, 4-3.
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Then Jake McCarthy hit a single (give him a 17-game on-base streak), and that was it for Peralta.
With two on and two out, Carrigg stepped to the plate, looking for a triple to complete the cycle is expand the Rockies lead. He battled through a 13-pitch at-bat.
Seriously, you’ve got to see it.
And then Carrigg got to work.
That’s right, Reader, it was a sweet, sweet three-run homer.
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The Rockies finished the sixth inning with a 7-3 lead.
“I love this game. I love playing for my guys. Obviously a pretty long at-bat — got me fired up for sure,” Carrigg said after the game.
“That’s one of the coolest at-bats I’ve seen,” Schaeffer said of Carrigg’s extended at-bat. “He was locked in today. You see what kind of player Cole can be.”
In the seventh inning the Padres were unable to score. The Rockies, however, were not done.
Karros lead off the inning with a single, and a Johnston RBI double was enough to bring him home, and the score was 8-3.
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Zac Veen was the last Rockie to get a hit, but he did in the seventh to score Ezequiel Tovar (pinch running for Johnston), and the Rockies took a 9-3 lead.
The Rockies final line was nine runs (all earned) on 16 hits. They walked once and struck out three times, going 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
“They’re all grinding ’til the end,” Schaeffer said. “This is what they believe in. That’s why there’s so much hope for the future.”
Kyle Freeland made his return
In addition to a solid performance from Freeland, the Rockies needed length from him to spare an exhausted bullpen.
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Despite giving up two home runs early, Freeland entered the fourth inning having thrown 38 pitches, which was just what the bullpen ordered.
He was done in the fifth (with no outs) after surrendering a third home run.
His final line was 4.0 IP with three runs (earned) on eight hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out one while throwing 50 pitches.
It was not the return Freeland wanted, but he helped save the bullpen.
“It was good to see him back,” Schaeffer said, noting that Freeland was efficient and on a 60-pitch limit. “I thought he got better as he went.”
“I felt good,” Freeland said. “I was able to eat some innings. Three solo-shots aren’t going to kill you.”
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Stellar Feltner
If there was an unsung hero in this game, it was Ryan Feltner, who entered the game in the fifth inning.
After his outstanding showing against Atlanta, the Rockies were eager to see what he could do when following an (extended) opener.
The answer: He was good — really good.
In 5.0 IP, Feltner allowed just three hits while issuing one walk and five strike outs on 61 pitches.
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“I saw attack-mode from the moment he stepped on the mound,” Schaeffer said, pointing out that it echoed the pitcher’s performance in Atlanta. He did not rule out using Feltner in a similar role going forward.
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Feltner said he believed he benefits from the opposing team having less plan to prepare for him.
“Sully called a great game,” he added.
Feltner emphasized, “I’m a starter, and I like starting a game,” but he added he would do whatever the team asks of him.
Up next
Join us tomorrow night for Game 3 when Robbie Ray will face Mason Adams (and hopefully the Rally Squirrel).
First pitch is at 6:40 pm.
See you then.
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