Rockies use clutch hits, stellar pitching in win over Tigers

Bottle it. Study it. Repeat it.

That’s what the Rockies should do with their 4-2 road victory over the Tigers on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park.

The Rockies got a terrific start from Ryan Feltner, who went toe-to-toe with Detroit ace Tarik Skubal. They also got key hits in the clutch and another lights-out performance from their bullpen.

The Tigers, clinging to hopes of earning an American League wild-card berth, saw their four-game winning streak end. Colorado ended its final long road trip of the season with a 4-5 record.

“We felt good going into today, against a wild-card contender,” catcher Jacob Stallings told Rockies.TV after his two-double performance. “Our guys made big swings when he needed them. It was a good day.”

Colorado won the game in the ninth, manufacturing two runs in textbook fashion. Brendan Rodgers broke out of a deep slump with a leadoff single off closer Jason Foley, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on Stalling’s spinning bloop double that right fielder Matt Vierling overran.

Hunter Goodman grounded out to short to advance pinch-runner Nolan Jones to third, and Jones scored on pinch-hitter Jake Cave’s sacrifice fly to center.

Closer Tyler Kinley notched his 12th save after Luis Peralta, Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen had blanked the Tigers for 2 1/3 innings.

“That was a really, really good win on the road, against a team that’s been rolling, against a really good pitcher,” manager Bud Black told reporters.

The Rockies’ bullpen, so awful early in the season, has been stellar since throwing young arms into fire late in games. Relievers have posted a 2.21 ERA with no home runs allowed over their last 12 games.

The Rockies trailed 2-1 entering the seventh but veteran Charlie Blackmon came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit, infield single to score Stallings. Stallings began the rally with a one-out double to left and advanced to third on Hunter Goodman’s single up the middle.

Before the Rockies’ clutch hits late in the game, the pitching duel was the story. Feltner matched Skubal, pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up two runs on just three hits. He struck out six and walked two.

“We have seen the aggressiveness of Ryan’s fastball showing up,” Black said. “He’s throwing it with more conviction, turning it looser and challenging guys in the strike zone rather than be too fine at the top of the zone, or too fine down and away.

“I think he’s turning it loose and it’s helping his other pitches, too. So good for him, I think he’s in a good position to finish (the season) strong.”

Feltner’s challenge has been to eliminate ugly innings. For the most part, he did that, though he wobbled in the fourth.

Riley Green sliced a one-out single to right and Jace Jung worked Feltner for a two-out walk. Feltner appeared to strike out Spencer Torkelson looking, but home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez saw it differently. So Torkelson stayed alive and ripped Feltner’s 3-2, hanging curveball down the left-field line for a two-run double and a 2-1 Detroit lead.

Black was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with Marquez and was not in the dugout to witness Colorado’s victory, just their 23rd on the road.

Skubal, the leading contender for the American League Cy Young Award, was as good as advertised. He gave up a solo homer to Jordan Beck in the second on a hanging curveball, but that was the only run he allowed. Over six innings, he limited Colorado to four hits, didn’t walk any and struck out six.