Gray leads Rockies to first road series win in San Diego
Jul 12, 2021, 7:28 AM | Updated: 8:23 am
In the final game prior to this week’s All-Star break, the Colorado Rockies won their second straight road game to claim their first road series win of the season against the San Diego Padres.
On Sunday, starting pitcher Jon Gray continued an impressive run for the rotation in a 3-1 win that saw him pitch six strong innings, allowing only one earned run and striking out seven. In Saturday’s 3-0 win, All-Star German Marquez was dominant once again, and while Kyle Freeland did surrender three earned runs in his five innings in Friday’s 4-2 loss, he gave Colorado a puncher’s chance in the game.
“It seemed like it was just exactly what we needed, really,” Gray said after Sunday’s series victory. “We’ve been looking for road wins, especially series ones, all year long — and they’ve been hard to come by — so it was nice to do it here in San Diego, and everything just worked out perfectly. This is a really good thing for us.”
The Rockies’ offense mustered only eight total runs in the three-game series but managed to win a pair of them anyway, thanks in part to their bullpen, which held the Padres to only one run in eight combined innings over the entire three-game series.
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NEXT UP: Rockies (40-51, 5th in NL West) vs. Dodgers (56-35, 2nd in NL West), Friday, Jul. 16 at 6:40 pm. COL: Antonio Senzatela (2-8, 4.58 ERA) vs. LAD: Julio Urias (11-3, 3.64 ERA)
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NOTES:
• In the first round of Sunday’s draft, the Rockies selected high-school outfielder Benny Montgomery eighth overall. Montgomery, 18, hails from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and is expected to forgo the University of Virginia to sign with the Rockies. “I had meetings with some of their top guys a few weeks ago, and I knew that they liked me — and I liked them, as well,” Montgomery said. “And the thought of playing at Coors Field, where the ball flies, can’t be cooler to me.” MLB.com rated Montgomery the 15th-best prospect, and the Rockies passed on superior prospects in high school shortstops Kahlil Watson and Brady House, and Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker, to select him. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Rockies did so, in part, because Montgomery was expected to sign “under slot” — for less than the $5,176,900 allotted to the eighth overall selection.
• Manager Bud Black became the 62nd skipper in history to manage 2,000 games in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the Padres — the team he first managed. “I’m grateful to so many people in this game to be able to last this long and [their belief] in the coaching staffs and I in the couple places that I’ve been, and the players who have played for me have always put it out there for the team and the organization,” Black said. “Today was an example of the players playing hard… I’m proud of the group; the way we’re battling. I’ll remember this one. I will.” Black’s overall record as a major-league manager is 964-1,036 (.482).
• Rockies first base prospect Michael Toglia hit a third-inning home run to center at Coors Field on Sunday to help lead the National League to a 8-3 win in Sunday’s Futures Game. Toglia, 22, is hitting .229 with 10 home runs and 39 RBI at High-A Spokane.
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THE FINAL WORD: “It’s a good feeling to have when your pitchers are going out there and doing it. We [only] scored three runs [on] back-to-back days to get the wins, so it was their game again. Thankfully, we scored enough for them.” — C.J. Cron.
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STARTING LINEUP:
LF Raimel Tapia
C Elias Diaz
SS Trevor Story
RF Charlie Blackmon
1B C.J. Cron
CF Yonathan Daza
3B Joshua Fuentes
2B Garrett Hampson
SP Jon Gray
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INJURY WATCH:
• SP Austin Gomber (left forearm tightness) was placed on the 10-day IL after leaving his June 19 start. He played catch on June 28 in an effort to build toward throwing bullpen sessions, meaning that he likely won’t return until mid-July.
• RP Robert Stephenson (strained upper back) was placed on the 10-day IL on June 28.
• 1B Matt Adams (right elbow soreness) was injured during the June 8 game and was placed on the 10-day IL on June 9. He started taking batting practice on June 26 and may be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment soon.
• RP Jordan Sheffield (torn right lat) was injured on June 3 and was placed on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss at least two months.
• RP Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on March 27, and his season is in doubt.
Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan. Follow him on Twitter at @sdrotar.
