The Colorado Rockies secured a series win over the Philadelphia Phillies with an 8-5 win on Saturday.
The Rockies scored five in the first inning against Phillies starter Nick Pivetta and Jon Gray made sure that held up with his best start of 2017.
Gray pitched seven innings, allowing a run on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. He threw 94 pitches, 61 for strikes, earning his fourth win of the season.
On the other hand, Pivetta struggled from the start, issuing a walk and hitting a batter to start the game. Nolan Arenado then singled to load the bases before Gerardo Parra’s base hit scored two. Mark Reynolds’ force out allowed a third run to score and a fourth scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s sacrifice fly. Pat Valaika provided the final blow of the inning with an RBI single to give the Rockies a 5-0 lead.
The Rockies added on more runs in the third when Parra doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Carlos Gonzalez and Valaika brought home Reynolds with a two-run home run to make it 8-0 and chase Pivetta from the game.
Gray gave up the run he allowed in the fourth, but did so on a double play ball by Nick Williams after allowing a pair of singles, cutting the Rockies’ lead to 8-1.
The game stayed at 8-1 until the eighth, when reliever Zac Rosscup gave up a pair of singles and a three-run home run to Daniel Nava. The Phillies got their last run in the ninth when Freddy Galvis’ blooper fell in front of Parra, allowing Andres Blanco to score.
The Rockies will look to sweep the Phillies and finish the homestand at 5-1 tomorrow afternoon, as Jeff Hoffman takes the mound against Aaron Nola. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. Mountain time.