TORONTO — The beginning was the end for the Rockies.
Starter Dakota Hudson went south in the first inning when the Blue Jays took a 5-0 lead. Although the Rockies rallied and Hudson pitched well after the first, the damage was done. The Blue Jays prevailed, 5-3, Saturday at the Rogers Centre.
After pounding out 20 hits in a 12-4 win on Friday night, the Rockies were limited to seven hits on Saturday and struck out 15 times, including their last five at-bats.
Hudson’s first inning was like a bad disaster movie: long, loud and implausible.
The Blue Jays’ George Springer led off with an infield single off the glove of second baseman Brendan Rodgers, Bo Bichette added a one-out single and Daniel Vogelbach drew a walk to jam the bases. Hudson induced Cavan Biggio to fly out the left for the second out but walked Davis Schneider, forcing in a run.
Up stepped Varsho, who crushed Hudson’t 1-0 fastball over the wall in right-center field for the second grand slam of his career to give the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead.
However, Hudson was excellent for the next five innings, allowing two hits, one walk and no runs. He retired the last nine hitters he faced.
Colorado center fielder Brenton Doyle, continuing his progress as a hitter, led off the third with a homer off right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, who was making his major league debut. Doyle, who hit .230 last season as a rookie, is batting .315 with a .925 OPS.
The Rockies cut Toronto’s lead to 5-3 in the sixth, combining a leadoff walk by Elias Diaz, a double by Nolan Jones, and a two-run, opposite-field single to right by Rodgers.
The two clubs play Game 3 of the series on Sunday, with the Rockies looking for their first road series win since Aug. 4-6 at St. Louis last season.
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