Cards salvage game in set as Rockies pitching falls apart

After taking the first two games in the series, both by a score of 2-1, the Colorado Rockies lost the finale to the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 10-3.

The game felt much closer than that for most of its duration but a few mislocated pitches from starter Tim Melville and a late collapse from the veterans in the bullpen gave the Cards the comfortable win.

The home run derby masquerading as a baseball game got started when Dexter Fowler launched the very first pitch Melville three high and deep into the second deck in right field. Kolten Wong followed that up with another blast to center field, giving the Cards a 2-0 lead before Melville could settle down and get himself three outs.

Colorado got one back in the bottom of the first half thanks to a leadoff walk from Garrett Hampson and a double down the left-field line off the bat of Nolan Arenado.

The visitors responded with two more runs in the top of the second. Rangel Ravelo hit a screaming line drive to left for the Cardinals third solo homer run of the game.

A couple of walks ultimately put runners at the corners with two away when Melville got a pop up into foul territory that Nolan Arenado made an exceptional basket catch on but couldn’t quite complete the play of the year as his throw home was knocked out of Dom Nunez’ glove and the runner was safe.

The Rockies again answered with one run on a solo home run from Josh Fuentes, the first round-tripper of his MLB career.

His cousin, Nolan Arenado matched him in the next inning but that was sandwiched by two more leadoff home runs from the Cardinals.

Marcell Ozuna did the honors in the third and Harrison Bader in the fourth to give St. Louis four consecutive innings leadoff of with the long ball.

Oddly enough, the scoring dried up after that until the Cardinals ran away with it by putting up a four-spot in the ninth against Wade Davis and Jake McGee.

With the Milwaukee Brewers also winning on Thursday afteroon, the Colorado Rockies have officially been eliminated from postseason contention.