RyMac gives Rockies different result despite another injury

DENVER – On a day closer Wade Davis was relieved of his ninth-inning duties, it was the removal of David Dahl that came as the biggest surprise Friday night when the 25-year-old was carted off the field with a right ankle sprain.

Colorado won 5-4 on Friday night, but it was the health of Dahl serving as the memorable moment. The center fielder crumpled to the ground after recorrecting his body after overrunning a Scooter Gennett fly ball. His teammates would rally for three unanswered runs after his departure and a win against the Giants who were thwarted in their attempt to tie a franchise record with six consecutive victories in Denver.

Dahl and company attacked at the plate all night, striking through with hits in seven of eight innings, including Dahl’s tenth straight game. They broke through with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Ryan McMahon single, a Raimel Tapia ground out and Tony Wolters’ single to right field.

The Rockies added another in the next frame when Trevor Story lifted one over the center field fence for a solo home run off San Francisco’s starter, RHP Shaun Anderson.

RHP Peter Lambert looked sharp through the first three innings, striking out three and allowing only a single. In the fourth, Lambert began to have issues with control, walking the first two batters, Mike Yastrzemski and Buster Posey. He nearly escaped the jam, were it not for a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position and an overturned inning-ending double play.

In the fifth, Lambert did not walk a batter, but he stayed within the strike zone more than prescribed, giving up four hits and three runs, including an RBI triple by Austin Slater and a two-run home run by Mike Yastrzemski, who continues to swing the bat incredibly well.

Two strikeouts and a scoreless sixth for Lambert paved the way for Colorado to get back into the game. Daniel Murphy led off with a single to left, prompting Bruce Bochy, in his final series at Coors Field, to go to his bullpen for a lefty to face McMahon. The 24-year-old second baseman tied the game at four apiece by swatting a two-run home run to center, his 12th in 304 at bats; half of his longballs this season have come against southpaws in only 100 at bats.

The offense responded in the following frame with another run to put ahead the purple, 5-4. Charlie Blackmon singled and Story reached via base on balls. Dahl’s replacement, Ian Desmond, lashed a double to right field to score the bearded baller.

Before the game, Bud Black announced that Davis was temporarily removed from the closer’s role, making room for Scott Oberg as the man in the ninth.

The identity of the man in the eighth remained a mystery until Jairo Díaz pitched a one-two-three seventh inning. The man tasked to be the bridge to Oberg: Díaz. The Venezuelan got all three outs in the eighth as well, avoiding a two-out double from newly-acquired Gennett to give Díaz his fourth win of the season.

Scott Oberg and his 1.59 ERA, second lowest among NL relievers in 2019, made it interesting in his first opportunity as closer. Pinch hitter Stephen Vogt reached with a one-out single and Brandon Belt followed with one of his own. On the first pitch to homer-happy Yastrzemski, Oberg got a ground ball for a 4-6-3 game-ending double play, his fourth save of the season.

By starting August with a win, Colorado shakes off some of the 6-19 record in July, their worst winning percentage (.240) for a month in franchise history.