Back On Tapia: Rockies bolstered by rookies to 5-3 win

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies got to first place in the National League in the first half via a combination of excellent pitching and defense and timely hitting. They fell well out of first place when pretty much all of those aspects of their game went MIA at the same time. But back at home on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds, they got back to their winning ways behind another high-quality outing from Jeff Hoffman and a big night from Raimel Tapia winning 5-3.

Cincinnati got to Hoffman to open the game, getting their first two runners on board, Jose Peraza on a blooper to no-man’s-land in center field and Scooter Gennett on a solid ground ball to right. Peraza came in on a deep fly ball to left from Joey Votto Hoffman limited the damage to just that in the inning.

Tapia led off the bottom of the second with a triple down the right field line and it looked like he would be stranded there after Trevor Story struck out and Tony Wolters was robbed on a diving catch in shallow left field by Adam Duvall. But Hoffman came through with the unlikely two-out hit, a double down the right field line to score Tapia and tie the game at one. It was the first RBI of Hoffman’s career.

The Rockies got a second run in the third in an odd fashion. It started innocuously enough with singles from DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado, then Mark Reynolds beat out an attempt at a double play on a groundball that pulled the shortstop to his right. Carlos Gonzalez, in his first game back off the 10-day DL, then hit one that fooled just about everybody, most especially second baseman Gennett. The ball had some funky spin and though Gennett dropped it, he was still able to make the out at second, so no error was given, but he was unable to convert the double play and LeMahieu came in to score and put the Rockies up 2-1. Gonzalez was awarded the RBI.

The home club got another run in the fourth when, just moments after it was announced he would be participating in the 2017 Home Run Derby, Charlie Blackmon laced his 18th home run of the season, a line drive shot that cleared the high scoreboard in right field.

Hoffman was cruising along, having not allowed a hit since the first two batters of the game until he was greeted with a solo shot from Gennett to lead off the top of the sixth. In the very next at-bat, Hoffman grooved a fastball to Votto on a 3-0 pitch and the multiple time All-Star, likely future Hall-of-Famer planted it over the center field fence to tie the game, 3-3. It was the 24th home run for Votto this season and the 1,500th hit of his career. He is tied for second in MLB in most home runs this season.

The Rockies rookie pitcher settled down after that, retiring the next three in order.

Colorado took the lead right back on the first batter of the bottom half of the inning. Raimel Tapia hit his first home run at home just a few days after hitting the first of his MLB career in Arizona, leaving him just a single shy of the cycle, making him 3-for-3 with and RBI and two runs scores, and putting the Rockies up 4-3.

Hoffman almost had a great night but would have to settle for good.  Early on, the fastball was eating guys up and curveball was just as devastating as it has ever been:

Jeff Hoffman‘s curveball looks like a fastball, until it isn’t pic.twitter.com/qSC74W8gaa

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) July 4, 2017

His final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. He threw 53 of his 90 pitches for strikes. It was a pretty efficient outing and impressive to think that had he thrown a few more 3-2 pitches in the zone he might have a few more strikeouts, a few fewer walks, and have gone another inning.

Of course, it also helps when you have a third baseman who is daily redefining what we think of as elite defense:

RKO Outta Nowhere pic.twitter.com/CU0qGSJnkB

— Text N4 to 89269 (@Rockies) July 4, 2017

Blackmon led off the seventh with a walk, stole second and moved up on another sinking liner that ate up Gennett at second, ruled as a base hit for LeMahieu. He scored on a deep sacrifice fly from Arenado to make it 5-3.

Jake McGee came on to pitch the eighth and gave up a one-out single to Gennett, who had his fingerprints all over this game, but worked out of it by inducing a double play.

Tapia had his chance to complete the cycle with a single to lead off the bottom of the eighth but struck out on three pitches. Still, his contributions had been felt and the home crowd gave him a rousing ovation as he headed back to the dugout having been instrumental in an important win for a club desperate for one.

Greg Holland came in and pitched a scoreless ninth to close the game out, recording the league leading 27th save, this also breaksHuston Street’s Rockies record for most saves before the All-Star Break.