Kid Tovar delivered for the Rockies on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, putting Saturday night’s debacle in the dumpster.
Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, 21, hit a solo home run in the fifth and drove in another run with a single in the seventh to lift the Rockies to a redemptive 4-3 victory over the Angels.
The win took some of the sting out of Colorado’s 25-1 loss to the Angels on Saturday night — the worst loss in franchise history.
Before manager Bud Black began his postgame press conference, he asked no one in particular: “What was that Meat Loaf song?”
Black was referencing “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” making sure that everyone was aware that even with Saturday night’s debacle, Colorado won the three-game series, despite having a minus-20 run differential. It was just the second time in major league history that a team has won a series despite having a run differential of minus-20 or more. The last time? June 28-30, 1897 when the Louisville Colonels won two of three games despite being outscored 45-22 by the Chicago Colts.
“It was a new day and we came out here ready to compete and ready to go,” said Tovar, who hit 2-for-4 and launched his ninth home run of the season, extending his career-long hitting streak to nine games.
During his hitting streak, Tovar is slashing .351/.342/.595 with one double, one triple, two home runs and six RBIs. His steady growth has been a bright light in Colorado’s rocky season.
“It’s really gratifying for all of us because we see the player in there,” Black said. “We see the 21-year-old who is self-assured, poised and confident. It’s truly showing up in how he’s playing.”
Of course, nothing comes easy for these Rockies. Eduardo Escobar hit a two-out triple in the ninth off closer Justin Lawrence and scored on Mickey Moniak’s single. Lawrence intentionally walked Matt Thaiss before getting pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo to ground out to third baseman Ryan McMahon.
The Angels’ 25 runs and 28 hits set franchise records on Saturday, but their bats were quieter Sunday, when they had eight hits. The Rockies had just five hits but they delivered when they had to.
Colorado starter Austin Gomber helped return some sanity to LoDo. The lefty gave the Rockies five-plus innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Gomber got the victory, snapping the Rockies’ franchise-worst 30-game streak without a starting pitcher earning a victory. It was the longest such span in big-league history. Gomber, incidentally, also notched the Rockies’ last win by a starter on May 23 vs. Miami at Coors Field.
Gomber held the Angels scoreless for five innings, getting double-play grounders to end both the second and fifth.
“I was just trying to give us a chance to get the win and win the series,” Gomber said. “Obviously, last night’s game was a tough one but I wanted to help us turn the page.”
Black called Gomber’s performance “huge.”
” ‘Gomby’ threw really well,” Black said. “He was efficient (71 pitches, 44 strikes) and I thought all four of his pitches were effective. His fastball location was spot-on to righties. He threw some good curveballs and he got some strikeouts there.”
The Angels cracked him for two runs in the sixth with a leadoff double by Taylor Ward, followed by an RBI triple by Shohei Ohtani.
Gomber was lifted for right-hander Jake Bird, who hit Mike Trout and gave up a sacrifice fly to Brandon Drury before inducing an inning-ending double play by Hunter Renfroe.
Pierce Johnson and Daniel Bard blanked Los Angeles for two innings before Lawrence pulled off his high-wire act in the ninth for his fourth save.
The Rockies are off on Monday before opening a three-game series against the Dodgers on Tuesday night at Coors.
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