Gray's Anatomy: Textbook start just what the Doctor ordered for Rockies

The Colorado Rockies were in desperate need of a win after losing eight straight and began the second half of their season by handing the ball to the guy they hoped would be their ace coming into 2017 but had been mostly a nonfactor so far. Jon Gray faced off against Robbie Ray of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who is having a phenomenal season, in the first game of this three-game set. Fresh off the Disabled List, Gray needed to serve as both a stopper and be ace-like since he was facing one of the best teams in baseball. While still showing some rust, he managed to do both and the Rockies offense finally showed up, scoring runs in five innings and making good use of productive outs to get back in the win column.

The Gray Wolf has returned.

Charlie Blackmon, knowing how important it is to start the song on a strong chord, blasted a solo home run in the first at-bat of the game. It was his 17th of the season. The Rockies did go on to load the bases in the inning but Raimel Tapia ground out to first, meaning they would get just one run but still made Ray throw a ton of pitches, which would become a theme.

Arizona answered right back, getting to Gray early which has often been key against him through his career. Gregor Blanco opened with a single but Gray struck out David Peralta and Paul Goldschmidt, making in look like he would escape. Jake Lamb came through with a double on a high fastball that didn’t get quite as high as Gray wanted it, tying up the game before the Rockies pitcher escaped with another strikeout. (This would also become a theme.)

Colorado played successful small ball for the first time in a while in the top of the third, capitalizing on a pair of walks from Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story with a productive out from Pat Valaika, and RBI groundout from Tapia, and — finally — a two-out base hit with a runner in scoring position from … Ryan Hanigan?

Yes, the Rockies veteran catcher who returned to the club today, replacing Tom Murphy who needs some time to iron a few things out, immediately made himself a factor, putting together a quality at-bat, not trying to do to much, and grounding a single back up the middle to score Story and make it 3-1.

Gray was nearly untouchable in the second and third, getting Goldschmidt again.

Jon Gray‘s slider is nuts right now, second time he has set down Paul Goldschmidt today. pic.twitter.com/SoUtG0oipn

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) July 1, 2017

Chris Owings jumped on top of a high fastball on the very first pitch from Gray in the fourth, hitting a line drive home run over the left field fence, his 10th of the season. Brandon Drury followed with a double on a hanging curve ball but Gray was able to strand him there by getting a pair of popouts and his seventh strikeout of the game. Owings is now 5-for-9 against the Wolf of Blake Street.

Peralta greeted Gray with a single up the middle in the fifth. Gray already had an extended pitch count and the heart of the order was due up. Then, the Rockies returning ace did something you will rarely ever see, he struck out Paul Goldschmidt for the third consecutive time, all on perfectly located sliders low and away. He then got Lamb to ground out and Owings to pop out on the infield to still get the relatively quick inning he needed.

Then in the top of the sixth, the Rockies got the insurance run that has so eluded them lately from an unlikely source, a solo home run from Tapia on the first pitch he saw, his first homer at the MLB level. It’s fair to note that this came in a ballpark with some altitude and no humidor but also fair to note that it came left-on-left against a likely All-Star on a pitch below the zone that was absolutely lined up. Ray finished the sixth and his outing having thrown 122 pitches with a strikeout of an MVP candidate in Blackmon.

In the bottom of that frame, The Ghost Hunter gave up one last single to Daniel Descalso but struck out Chris Herrmann, the tenth punchout victim of the game and his final. This is the seventh time in his still-young career that Gray has recorded a double-digit strikeout game.

His final line: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. He threw 67 of his 102 pitches for strikes. He was by no means perfect. Several of the hits he gave up were hard line drives on mistakes. The fastball and curveball missed location at times but when they didn’t were still weapons. The slider was positively devastating to both right and left-handed batters. Through the hard-hit balls, Gray showed the power of swing-and-miss stuff and the ability to dial it up against some of the games best, and hottest, hitters.

The Rockies got another insurance run when Nolan Arenado led off the seventh with a triple (he’s doing that at an unusual pace lately) and came in on a groundout from Reynolds to make it 5-2, Rockies.

Chris Rusin came on for Colorado in the bottom of the frame and did his usual thing, getting a quick 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout, though, admittedly, getting help on a fantastic defensive play on a diving catch from Reynolds.

Tapia manufactured another run in the eighth, hitting an opposite field double that one-hopped the wall, out of the crouch, again left-on-left against former Rockie Jorge De La Rosa. He moved to third on a sac bunt from Hanigan (he sure gets basic tasks done well) and came in to score on a wild pitch to make it 6-2. Tapia went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Mike Dunn got the call for the Rockies in the eighth and got lefty Lamb to pop out on one pitch but then gave up a no-doubter to Owings, his second homer of the game, a screaming shot that would have been a hazard to patrons had anyone been sitting in the left field bleachers. Dunn gave way to Adam Ottavino who recorded a ground out before walking Descalso which prompted a move to the lefty Jake McGee to face Herrmann. The Rockies reliever got ahead but Herrmann battled back and drove one to deep center but if fell just short of the wall harmlessly into the glove of Charlie Blackmon.

Greg Holland came on for his first save opportunity in over a week. He struck out Ketel Marte, gave up a double to Blanco, but got Peralta and Goldschmidt easily to end it and secure his 26th save. That ties Huston Street for the franchise record for most saves before the All-Star break.

Colorado moved to 48-34 and snapped an eight-game losing streak. They are two behind Arizona in the win column with two more to play in this series. With the Chicago Cubs taking a loss, the Rockies are now seven games up in the Wild Card.