A pair of rookies put in strong performances as the Colorado Rockies won Monday’s season opener against Tampa Bay, 7-4.
Tyler Anderson had the worst start of his career, but was still solid, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits in 6 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts, his ERA climbing to 3.43 in seven starts this season,
Anderson was backed up by seven runs from the Rockies, with Trevor Story providing two of them in the fifth with his 22nd home run of the year.
Tampa Bay got on the board first in the top of the first when Kevin Kiermaier walked and scored on an Evan Longoria triple. It was the last run Anderson would give up until the seventh.
The Rockies tied the game in the bottom of the inning thanks to doubles from DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez, evening the score at 1-1.
Colorado took the lead in the fourth when Rays starter Drew Smyly walked Story and Ryan Raburn to start the inning before giving up an RBI single to Mark Reynolds and a sacrifice fly to Nick Hundley, giving the Rockies a 3-1 lead that Story’s homer in the fifth extended to 5-1.
The Rays cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh after Anderson issued a walk to Logan Morrison before giving up three straight one-out hits, two for extra bases, and being replaced by Adam Ottavino who got a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.
It looked like Tampa Bay would tie the game in the eighth when Longoria led off the inning with his second triple of the game, but Jason Motte struck out Corey Dickerson, Morrison and Steven Souza Jr. to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Rockies added a pair of insurance runs after Daniel Descalso’s inning-ending ground out was overturned by replay. Descalso then advanced to third on a Reynolds single and scored on a wild pitch. The Rockies added a second insurance run when Brandon Barnes brought home Reynolds with a single.
Carlos Estevez walked the leadoff man in the ninth, but then got three straight outs to earn his sixth save and secure the Rockies win.
The Rockies will go for the series win tomorrow night as Tyler Chatwood takes on Blake Snell, first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 Mountain time.