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Pat Valaika delivers the biggest hit of Rockies season in a comeback win

August 24, 2017

The Colorado Rockies were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, having left seven on base. At one point in the game, the club’s 4-9 hitters had gone 4-for-50 to that point in their series in Kansas City.

It was the eighth inning; there wasn’t much hope. The team hadn’t scored more than four runs aside from two instances in their last 15 outings. It was as bleak as it’s been in a good while for the Rockies, who were staring down a five game losing streak and a diminishing playoff spot lead.

Down 2-1 to the Royals on the verge of being swept, Gerardo Parra reached first on a single. But the club quickly was down to two outs which in retrospect may have been a good thing considering the sixth and seventh innings ended in double plays. That’s when Pat Valaika strode in.

Of course, in a 3-2 count—because baseball is romantic—Valaika, facing lefty Mike Minor, a lefty who had allowed just four homers in over 60 innings this year, put a farewell swing on one.

The Rockies take the lead in the 8th with a two-run homer by Pat Valateafternoon pic.twitter.com/Ywxefryeyw

— Jake Shapiro, but festive 🎁 (@Shapalicious) August 24, 2017

Mike Dunn worked around a leadoff single in the bottom half to strike out the side. The Rockies’ recently maligned closer, Greg Holland, went back to his regal ways against his former team and shut down the ninth.

The Rockies won 3-2.

In a game where they could not get a clutch hit, a break or anything to go their way for the first seven innings they got the biggest hit and socked the Royals right back on a late-game homer to win it.

This was just another instance of Colorado’s back being against the wall and the Rockies fighting back with a huge punch. It happened in Cleveland, it happened for Kyle Freeland against the White Sox and, really, this has been the story of 2017. Back against the wall, don’t die.

On Thursday when they could’ve easily felt bad about themselves for losing the night before in heartbreaking fashion, Valaika did his best Charlie Blackmon-in-Cleveland impression.

While the ending was fireworks, the start from German Marquez was more of the same of late from the 22-year-old.

Marquez had two bad innings to start the contest and rung up his pitch count. With the way the Rockies have been playing with the bats, it felt as though a 2-0 deficit was too much to overcome. But that’s not his fault. What Marquez could control is six innings of two earned. He only struck out two and did allow eight hits as well as two walks so it was far from his best day. Yet Marquez did his job and eventually, the Rockies offense did theirs.

In the sixth Parra was driven in on a Raimel Tapia single. What was pointing towards a rally was killed by one of those double plays.

Thanks to Valaika and a strong performance from the Rockies pitchers—Marquez, Adam Ottavino, Dunn and Holland—found themselves in the win column for the first time in what seemed like forever.