The Rockies plated a run in six of the eight innings they stepped to the plate. A consistent offensive surge and a masterful start by Austin Gomber capped off Colorado’s sixth-consecutive win at home.
It was a top-down effort for the Rockies on offense: everyone in the starting lineup had a hit except for the pitcher Gomber. Seven of the nine starters posted an RBI. Four players had multiple hits. The team hit a combined .372 in the series finale, and has now won nine of their last 11 inside Coors Field.
Austin Gomber deals
Gomber was reportedly feeling under the weather, and was sent home early on Wednesday. Today on the mound, he looked anything but: Texas did not touch second base with the lefty in the game.
33 percent changeups today was nearly double the amount Gomber normally throws. He induced 16 swings and nine whiffs off his changeup, and his collective CSW was at 40 percent, well above the league average of around 29. The Rangers had a tough time seeing what was coming with his distributed mix of fastballs (28 percent), sliders (22) and curveballs (17).
In all six of his innings, Gomber faced four or less hitters. He retired the leadoff hitter in every frame except the fifth, where he worked a double play to the very next hitter.
The Rockies scored in every inning he pitched except the first, so Gomber had ample time to rest between innings. He threw 78 pitches through six complete frames, and handed the early workings of a shutout over to the bullpen.
Gomber’s final line: 6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K
Austin Gomber's 6 strikeouts pic.twitter.com/ZsKnOqbG5K
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Garrett Hampson bats .800 on the day
4-for-5 is what the kids like to call “going off.” Hampson ripped two doubles in today’s matchup and scored twice, doing so in the sixth spot in the order. The five hitters in front of him went a combined 9-for-21, and Hampson was in prime position to further the Rockies’ continual offensive threats.
11 runs, 16 hits, one [solo] home run
Colorado posted an impressive .449 wOBA today. The Rockies were able to score 11 runs on 16 hits, but left the yard only once. It was an all-around team effort to plate all those runs without the sheer dependance of firepower.
Lest we forget Charlie Blackmon’s third-inning blast, however:
Charlie Blackmon's 3-hit, 3 RBI game pic.twitter.com/EBgcKoMWkU
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He also ripped a two-RBI double in the seventh. Blackmon finished the afternoon 3-for-5, driving in three runs.
Foltynewicz chased in the fourth
Texas starter Mike Foltynewicz was unable to record the final out in the fourth inning. He threw 77 total pitches and allowed five runs on eight hits. The Rockies quickly tapped into a taxed Rangers bullpen, and the offensive surge would not slow down.
Foltynewicz’s final line: 3 2⁄3 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Texas bullpen: 4 1⁄3 IP, 6 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Four Rockies have multi-hit games
Blackmon and Hampson were joined by Raimel Tapia and Josh Fuentes with multiple hits. Tapia went 3-for-5 in the leadoff spot, scoring three times. Fuentes hit cleanup and went 2-for-5, collecting one RBI.
Rangers hit well in low-leverage seventh, ninth inning.
About the only blemish to Colorado’s afternoon was the collective line by the bullpen. This had been a bright spot in the series thus far; the bullpen fueled the Rockies to an extra-inning win on Tuesday and didn’t allow a run on Wednesday.
Jordan Sheffield pitched the seventh and allowed a two-run blast to Khris Davis, immediately after a walk to Joey Gallo. Sheffield would go on to retire his next three batters faced.
Yency Almonte hadn’t pitched in seven days entering today; his appearance in the ninth inning was his second outing in 12 days. The Rangers took advantage of a leadoff single followed by two consecutive walks, and Jose Trevino would later launch a two-run homer. Almonte allowed four earned runs in an inning.
The bullpen was highlighted in the eighth, however. Robert Stephenson made quick work of the Rangers and tossed just 11 pitches, striking out two of his three batters faced.
Up Next
Colorado will continue their homestand with interleague action as the AL West-leading Oakland A’s come to town. Jon Gray will return to his familiar Coors Field comforts where he currently holds a 2.36 ERA this year. Oakland will counter with right-hander Frankie Montas, holding a 4.45 ERA and 2.94 xFIP. His last outing in Denver came on July 29, 2018, where he was tabbed with three earned runs in 4 1⁄3 innings.