Jake Cave’s juice launched the Rockies to a comeback win over the Giants on Friday at Coors Field.
The veteran outfielder, a stop-gap on a one-year contract for a team in transition, was a difference maker again to lead Colorado to a victory in the first game out of the All-Star break. Cave scored the tying run in the seventh after roping a leadoff pinch-hit double, then the next inning, the outfielder gave Chatfield alum Tyler Rogers a rude welcome back home via the game’s deciding three-run homer.
Cave’s clutch hits, along with another homer from the red-hot Brenton Doyle, made up for a slow offensive start in the 7-3 triumph over San Francisco in the series opener in front of 40,115.
The Giants scored first in the second inning on a two-out, sinking line drive to left by Thairo Estrada. Sean Bouchard charged in and dove at the ball, but it went under his glove and rolled to the wall. That resulted in a two-RBI triple for a 2-0 visitors lead.
San Francisco added on the next inning, with Patrick Bailey’s RBI groundout to push the score to 3-0.
Meanwhile, the Rockies had just one hit through the first five innings as they struggled to get anything going against rookie Kyle Harrison. The southpaw struck out six, and Colorado also couldn’t capitalize on four walks.
After Cal Quantril polished off his quality start by working around Mike Yastrzemski’s single in the sixth, the Rockies offense finally came to life against right-hander Randy Rodriguez. Elias Diaz was grazed by a pitch — and initially wanted to stay in the box before jogging down to first with some prodding by manager Bud Black from the dugout. Doyle picked up where he left off before the All-Star break.
Doyle blasted Rodriguez’s elevated fastball 434 feet into the left-field seats, his fifth homer over his last seven games. The no-doubter from the Doyle, who has nine homers in July and is emerging as a franchise pillar, got Colorado within shouting distance at 3-2.
In the seventh, right-hander Tyler Kinley ran into trouble when the Giants loaded the bases off him with two hits and a walk. But southpaw Jalen Beeks bailed Kinley out by striking out Michael Conforto on a full-count, top-of-the-zone cutter.
Colorado then tied the game in the bottom of the inning against right-hander Ryan Walker, taking advantage of Cave’s double down the right-field line. With two outs, Ezequiel Tovar rolled over on an infield single in the hole between third and shortstop, and Matt Champan proceeded to make an errant throw to first.
After an intentional walk to Ryan McMahon and a walk to Diaz, Doyle came up again, but grounded to third into a fielder’s choice in end the threat and keep the game tied 3-3.
But the Rockies finally took the lead in the eighth, after Brendan Rodgers’ leadoff infield single and Michael Toglia’s double off the submariner Rogers set up Cave’s 410-foot blast to right center on a hanging slider. Cave pimped the shot out of the box off, pointing and yelling to the dugout as he took his time trotting down the first base line.
After Rogers was lifted, Tovar added on to the big inning with a homer down the left field line off Luke Jackson. It was Tovar’s 15th dinger of the year and third homer in his last two games as he continues to climb out of a recent slump.
Victor Vodnik retired the Giants in order in the ninth to secure the win.
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