Rockies know Carlos Gonzalez can take them from solid to scary

DENVER — Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black has a rule: Any time a player records four hits in a game, he’s automatically in the starting lineup the next day.

“You lived it, Spilly,” Black reminded Ryan Spilborghs, Colorado’s pinch-hit specialist turned analyst. “When you look back on your career, when you got four hits you got to play the next day. So we’re doing that again.”

That ride-the-hot-hand principle is why Black reinserted Carlos Gonzalez into the lineup after he tore up the Cincinnati Reds for four hits and two RBI Sunday. The highlight of Gonzalez’s game in that series-clinching win came when he mashed a 461-foot upper decker to right field. His performance Monday to kick off a three-game series against the division-rival Giants wasn’t as flashy, but it still represented a step in the right direction as he went 2-for-4 in Colorado’s 6-5 walk-off win.

Gonzalez’ base knocks came against lefties Andrew Suarez and Tony Watson. He raised his batting average against southpaws to .238 on the season and to .250 overall. Monday marked the second time this season Gonzalez recorded back-to-back multi-hit games.

Gonzalez, Trevor Story and Ian Desmond all provided production in the middle part of the order, which has struggled mightily over the first two months of the season. Story crushed a three-run homer to left field in the first inning and then singled in the eighth. Desmond, like Gonzalez, also singled twice.

Together, they provided support behind Nolan Arenado, who had an uncharacteristic off night, going 0-for-3 with an error.

“When he gets hot, he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen,” Arenado said about Gonzalez Sunday. “He can do some special things. He can singlehandedly win ballgames.”

Arenado was there all the years Gonzalez routinely hit .300 and clubbed 25 homers. The sweet-swinging Venezuelan has fallen off dramatically since the start of 2016. If he’s ever able to rediscover that form, the Rockies know they can go from solid to scary.

“He just looked like old CarGo,” Arenado said. “Hitting the ball so hard. Hitting the ball the other way. Pulling the ball. Honestly, like I said last year, if he can get going we have a chance to be extremely dangerous.”