Charlie Blackmon homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs, and the Colorado Rockies used a six-run fourth inning to beat the red-hot Cleveland Guardians 8-6 in Denver on Monday.
Cleveland had its nine-game winning streak snapped, which was the team’s longest since winning an AL-record 22 in a row from Aug. 24 to Sept. 14, 2017.
Jose Ramirez continued to swing a hot bat with two doubles and two RBIs. He has driven in 54 runs, tops in the majors. Tyler Freeman had three hits and Bo Naylor added two hits for the Guardians.
Colorado’s original starter Austin Gomber was scratched Monday morning with general arm soreness.
Anthony Molina stepped in and was chased after 1 2/3 innings. He allowed a leadoff double to start the game and had a hit batter and three walks in the second when Cleveland went ahead 3-0.
Josh Rogers (1-0), who had his contract selected before the game, relieved Molina and allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Jalen Beeks allowed a run in the ninth before notching his fifth save.
The Guardians led 4-1 after Ramirez led off the third with a double and scored on David Fry’s single. But the Rockies erupted against starter Xzavion Curry in the fourth.
Colorado loaded the bases with one out and scored its first run of the inning when second baseman Andres Gimenez mishandled Sean Bouchard’s grounder.
Elehuris Montero followed with a two-run single and Blackmon hit a three-run homer just over the scoreboard in right field to make it 7-4. It was his second of the season.
That was all for Curry (0-1), who allowed seven runs — six earned — on six hits, walked two and struck out three in 3 1/3 innings. His ERA rose from 1.93 to 5.68.
The Rockies stretched their lead in the sixth when reliever Scott Barlow walked two and Blackmon doubled to center to drive in his fourth run of the game.
Ramirez added to his RBI lead with a run-scoring double in the seventh but struck out in the ninth with Gimenez on first after his run-scoring single.
–Field Level Media
