Charlie Blackmon’s 2-run double in the 8th inning leads Rockies past Rangers 4-2
DENVER (AP) — Charlie Blackmon hit a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 4-2 victory against the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
The Rockies earned consecutive victories for the first time this season. They had been the only team yet to win back-to-back games and the 37-game streak without consecutive victories was the longest drought in franchise history.
Blackmon had just 12 hits in his previous 69 at-bats — an average of .174 — when he came up against Yerry Rodríguez with runners on first and second base and two outs and the game tied at 2. He hit a sharp line drive to center field that brought Brenton Doyle and Jake Cave home to break a 2-2 tie.
Elías Díaz had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies, his 13th multihit game of the season and his 20th RBI, both team highs. Doyle and Brendan Rodgers each added two hits for Colorado.
Jake Bird (1-1) earned the win in relief for the Rockies, while Grant Anderson (0-1) took the loss for the Rangers.
Jalen Beeks retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save of the season.
The loss temporarily halted a recent hot streak for the defending World Series champion Rangers, who had won five of their last six and eight of 11.
Corey Seager hit his fourth home run of the season for Texas, a sharp 403-foot shot to right field that came off his bat at 108.2 mph. Seager, who drove in both of the Rangers’ runs, entered the game with hits in just 10 of his previous 66 at-bats.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber was sharp, giving up one earned run and striking out five in 6⅔ innings. His 14-inning scoreless streak, which was snapped by Seager’s home run, was the longest by a Colorado pitcher since 2021.
Texas starter Jon Gray, who pitched for the Rockies for six seasons and was drafted by the franchise with the No. 3 overall pick in 2013, gave up eight hits in six innings, but held Colorado to just one run while recording six strikeouts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: Anderson was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock before the game. … LHP Kolton Ingram was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on a waiver claim.
UP NEXT
Colorado RHP Ryan Feltner (1-3, 5.54 ERA) will face Texas LHP Andrew Heaney (0-4, 4.50) Saturday in Denver in the second game of a three-game series.
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