Noah Spirek | @NoahSpirek | August 11, 2024
The Colorado Rockies erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Colorado Rockies Mount Comeback
Game Story
The Braves took an early lead on Sunday afternoon, scoring in the opening inning of the ballgame on an Austin Riley solo home run. After falling behind Rockies starter Kyle Freeland 1-2, Riley worked the count and smacked a hanging slider 442 feet to center field, giving the Braves a 1-0 advantage.
Atlanta extended their lead in the fourth inning, once again via the long ball. After Freeland quickly retired the first two batters, he issued a walk to Matt Olson, setting the stage for catcher Travis d’Arnaud. D’Arnaud capitalized by launching a towering 436-foot two-run homer, pushing Atlanta’s lead to 3-0.
The Rockies responded in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run rally of their own. Ryan McMahon got things started with a leadoff double, followed by Brendan Rodgers and Michael Toglia reaching on a single and a walk, respectively, loading the bases with no outs. Then, Jake Cave scored a run with an RBI groundout, and Jacob Stallings followed with an RBI single, trimming the Braves’ lead to 3-2.
Atlanta blew it open in the seventh, scoring four times. Facing Rockies reliever Justin Lawrence, the first two runners of the inning reached, setting up Jorge Soler, who clubbed a three-run homer for his 15th of the season, growing the lead to 6-2.
After allowing a double to Austin Riley and retiring Marcell Ozuna, Lawrence was replaced by left-handed reliever Josh Rogers to face lefty Matt Olson. Olson promptly yanked a run-scoring double, giving the Braves a 7-2 lead.
Atlanta added to their lead in the eighth inning with Jorge Soler’s second home run of the game, a solo shot, putting the Rockies behind 8-2 as they entered the bottom of the inning.
Then, the game flipped. The Rockies staged an almost impossible comeback, scoring seven runs in the eighth to seize an improbable lead.
The inning began unceremoniously, as Brendan Rodgers struck out. Then, Michael Toglia singled and Jake Cave followed with a two-run homer. His sixth of the season closed Colorado to within 8-4, and provided a spark in the home dugout.
After Braves reliever Luke Jackson struck out Jacob Stallings for the second out, a Sam Hilliard single began a string of six consecutive hits for Colorado.
Following Hilliard, Aaron Schunk roped his second-career double to put runners on second and third. Then, Charlie Blackmon singled, scoring two and cutting the Braves’ lead in half. Ezequiel Tovar followed Charlie’s lead with a base hit, and Ryan McMahon added a single of his own, scoring Blackmon and making it 8-7 Atlanta.
Then, the biggest at-bat of the game ensued.
With runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth, Brendan Rodgers, who had struck out to start the inning, came through in the clutch with a first-pitch, two-run double, giving Colorado their first lead of the game.
In the ninth, Victor Vodnik worked an efficient inning, ending the game on a three-pitch strikeout of Travis d’Arnaud. The victory marked the second time in franchise history that the Rockies erased a deficit of six or more runs in the eighth inning or later, the first coming on July 6, 2010 against the Cardinals when the Rockies trailed 9-3 entering the bottom of the ninth and scored nine runs in the inning.
Quotes
Rockies manager Bud Black on the improbable win: “What a win… These happen once or twice a year… It was great. Against a good bullpen, too… We had some really good at-bats. We were aggressive. We got some pitches up in the strike zone, and we didn’t miss them.”
Kyle Freeland on the comeback: “No lead is safe at Coors Field. If you come in here thinking that your lead is safe, things like this happen. It was awesome to see. The defense today was absolutely stellar, and the offense never quit.”
Sam Hilliard on the exciting victory: “That was probably the coolest game I’ve ever been a part of. To put up a seven spot in the bottom of the eighth, when we needed it… It was awesome. The boys were fired up. I got chills in the outfield during the final out.”
Notes
Sam Hilliard continued his hot hitting streak with a 3-for-4 performance, and has recorded consecutive multi-hit games for the first time since April 2023. Additionally, Hilliard now has consecutive three-hit games for the first time in his career.
Aaron Schunk went 2-for-4 to record his second career multi-hit game and holds a career-best three-game hitting streak, in which he is 4-for-11.
What’s Next for the Colorado Rockies?
This afternoon, the Rockies will board the plane and head to Phoenix, where they will begin a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. In the series opener, probable starters have not been announced for either team, but first pitch is scheduled for 7:40 MT.
Story by Noah Spirek.
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