Noah Spirek | @NoahSpirek | July 23, 2024
Former Colorado Rockies star Trevor Story made his return to Coors Field as a Boston Red Sox player after being on the injured list. The Rockies won 9-8 in a thrilling game, with standout performances from Aaron Schunk and Sam Hilliard. The next game in the series is eagerly anticipated.
Colorado Rockies v Boston Red Sox Game 1 Recap
Trevor Story’s return
For the first time since departing Denver after his last game with Colorado in late September of 2021, former Rockies star Trevor Story made his return to Coors Field on Monday, when the Boston Red Sox rolled into town.
Story, who hopes to return before the end of the season, has been on the injured list since April 6 with a left shoulder dislocation. In now his third year with Boston, the former Rockies star has frequently dealt with injuries during his Red Sox tenure.
Pregame, the Coors Field faithful gave ‘Trev’ a nice reception when he was shown on the scoreboard.
Postgame, the Coors Field faithful went into raucous jubilation as the Rockies earned a 9-8 walk-off win.
Game Story
After a scoreless couple of innings to begin the action, the Rockies jumped on top with an explosive inning in the third against Boston’s All-Star pitcher, Tanner Houck. Nine-hole hitter Aaron Schunk began the rally with a single that bounced off the third-base bag, and the next hitter, Charlie Blackmon, launched his seventh homer of the year, giving Colorado a 2-0 lead.
The Colorado offense kept their foot on the gas, as Ezequiel Tovar singled after Blackmon’s blast, and he scored on a Brenton Doyle RBI double. Then, Michael Toglia lined an RBI single to center, scoring Doyle and notching the Rockies’ fifth consecutive hit in the inning. By the time the third inning ended, Colorado had manufactured a 4-0 advantage.
In the fifth, the Red Sox used a big inning of their own to tie the game. Rockies starter Austin Gomber allowed singles to Tyler O’Neill and Romy Gonzalez, but had two outs with the Bosotn’s nine-hole hitter, Jamie Westbrook stepping to the plate.
In the ensuing at-bat, Westbrook launched a hanging curveball from Gomber into the left-center field bleachers for a three-run homer. Westbrook’s second career home run cut the Rockies’ lead to 4-3.
The Red Sox were not done. Jarren Duran followed with his 11th triple of the season, and he scored on a Rob Refsnyder single to tie the game. By the time the inning ended, Boston had scored all four runs with two outs.
Colorado recaptured the lead in the seventh via a Jacob Stallings two-out double. After Houck was relieved by RHP Josh Winckowski to begin the inning, Brendan Rodgers lined an opposite-field single with one out, then advanced to second on a Jake Cave groundout. Stallings then delivered a clutch double down the right field line, scoring Rodgers and pushing the Rockies in front by a run.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Red Sox evened the score three pitches into the top of the seventh. After falling behind 0-2 against Rockies reliever Jalen Beeks, Connor Wong launched his ninth homer of the year into the right field seats, knotting the game at five apiece.
The score remained unchanged through the ninth, and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Red Sox scored twice against Victor Vodnik, who had previously tossed a scoreless ninth inning. Dominic Smith started the inning with a double that scored the auto-runner Duran, who began the inning at second base. Wilyer Abreu replaced Smith as a pinch-runner, and he scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Rafael Devers, giving Boston a 7-5 lead.
The Rockies responded in the bottom of the 10th with two runs of their own, both coming with one swing from Sam Hilliard. He launched a clutch two-run homer 450 feet into the Boston bullpen, extending the game for Colorado.
Both teams were unable to score a run in the 11th, but in the 12th, the Red Sox jumped back on top with a two-out single from Wilyer Abreu that scored Ceddanne Rafaela.
In the bottom of the 12th, Jake Cave led off with an RBI single to score the auto-runner Brendan Rodgers, tying the game. Red Sox reliever Bailey Horn intentionally walked Jacob Stallings, and Sam Hilliard advanced Cave and Stallings to 2nd and 3rd with a sacrifice bunt.
Boston elected to intentionally walk Aaron Schunk to load the bases and set up a forceout at any base, choosing to face Blackmon. Horn won a battle with Blackmon, striking him out on four pitches for the second out.
RHP Chase Anderson came in to face the next hitter, Ezequiel Tovar, to try to send the game to the 13th.
Tovar had other plans. He laced a walk off single into the outfield, scoring Jake Cave and giving the Rockies a wild, wild victory, 9-8.
Quotes
Rockies manager Bud Black on the win: “[Boston] came back a couple times. And we came back a couple times. It was a great game, good win. It was going to be a tough loss for whoever lost that one, but our guys endured and kept going. [They] showed a lot of resolve, as we’ve seen this year.”
LHP Austin Gomber on his performance: “I made one bad pitch and gave up a three-run homer. That was the best I’ve thrown the ball since 2021… I think the past couple weeks it’s been the [most live] my arm’s been in a couple years. [The] stuff’s been good, I’ve just given up a two or three-run homer and it kind of changes the way the outlook looks of it.”
Sam Hilliard on his clutch homer: “I went up there looking for changeup, which is the pitch I hit out. He threw me one 0-0 that I swung [at] and missed… I think my swing probably got a little bit too big. Then 0-1, he pretty much threw the same pitch – maybe a little bit lower – more into the loop of my swing. Before that, I was telling myself to shorten up and don’t do too much, and I was able to put the barrel on it, and it went.”
Notes
With his 2-5 performance, Aaron Schunk recorded his first Major League extra-base hit and multi-hit game.
Sam Hilliard’s 10th-inning homer was his third home run of the season and first at Coors Field since May 14, 2022.
The Rockies improved to 6-4 in extra innings, including 4-0 at home.
What’s Next for the Colorado Rockies?
On Tuesday, the Red Sox and Rockies will play game two of three in the series. Boston’s probable starter has not been announced at the time of writing, while Colorado’s probable starter is LHP Ty Blach (3-5, 5.46 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 MT.
Story by Noah Spirek.
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