Ezequiel Tovar had better make reservations for Arlington, Texas, on July 16.
The Rockies’ 22-year-old shortstop likely clinched his first trip to the All-Star Game with his glittering performance Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium in Colorado’s 6-5 win over the Cardinals.
Hitting from the No. 3 hole, Tovar slugged two home runs, went 4-for-4, drove in four runs, and totaled a career-high 10 total bases. Tovar’s two-run blast to left off reliever Andrew Kittredge in the Rockies’ three-run seventh inning provided the game-clincher.
Tovar rescued the Rockies after a defensive train wreck nearly cost them the game in the sixth inning and almost wasted a start by right-hander Ryan Feltner.
Although Tovar went 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series, he’s been one of baseball’s most productive hitters for over a month. Since May 1 — entering Saturday’s play — He was tied for the National League lead in total bases (71), extra-base hits (18) and doubles (12).
“I just turned the page,” Tovar told Rockies.TV. “Yesterday was not the result that I wanted, but to be able to come out today and play baseball was a blessing.”
Tovar’s 10 homers are tied with Ryan McMahon for the team lead, and his .813 OPS leads the Rockies. He’s hitting .294 and has committed just two errors at shortstop.
“I don’t feel like I have too (much) power. The home run, for me, is like an accident,” said Tovar, who had his second two-homer game of the season.
Feltner was fabulous for five innings. He shut out the Cardinals and allowed one hit — a harmless two-out single to Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth. Feltner struck out seven.
But his gem was tarnished in the sixth, although it wasn’t his doing. Back-to-back errors by second baseman Alan Trejo and first baseman Elehuris Montero — on potential double play grounders — led to four unearned runs for the Cardinals. Nolan Arenado’s RBI single to left off of reliever Victor Vodnick gave St. Louis a short-lived 4-3 lead.
Colorado’s game-winning seventh inning was ignited by Charlie Blackmon’s one-out double. He shocked the Cardinals by swiping third base, just his third steal of third since 2019. Blackmon scored on Brenton Doyle’s single. Up stepped Tovar, who drove Kittredge’s 0-2, 94.6 mph sinker into the left-field seats.
Tovar led off the sixth with his first homer of the day, jumping on starter Kyle Gibson’s 2-0 sweeper. The Rockies tacked on another run in the sixth on Montero’s double over the head of center fielder Dylan Carlson’s head, followed by Jake Cave’s RBI single to center.
Although Matt Carpenter blasted a 436-foot homer to center off Vodnick in the seventh to cut Colorado’s lead to one run, Jalen Beeks and Tyler Kinley shut down the Cardinals over the final two innings to preserve one of the Rockies’ most satisfying wins of the season. Kinley pocketed his fourth save of the season.
The Rockies will look to clinch the four-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Rockies LHP Ty Blach (2-3, 4.54 ERA) at Cardinals TBA
12:15 p.m. Sunday, Busch Stadium
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Blach has given the Rockies some stability in the rotation but got roughed up in his last start vs. the Reds at Coors Field, allowing four runs on a season-high 10 hits. It was just the fifth time in his career that the lefty gave up double-digit base hits. He’s had no success vs. St. Louis, going 0-1 with an 11.37 ERA in three career games (one start, 6 1/3 innings).
Pitching probables
Monday: Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (2-7, 5.25) at Twins RHP Chris Paddack (4-3, 5.26), 5:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.58) at Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (5-6, 5.45), 5:40 p.m.
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