Solo homers back another excellent Gray outing in Rockies win

For all the chatter given to the oddities of the Colorado Rockies home ballpark, it was the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field that made for a strange baseball environment on Tuesday night. The wind would play tricks, but evenly so, in this one.

The Rockies also made a bit of history in their 3-1 victory. It was the first time in eighty years that an opponent has opened the game with back-to-back homers at Wrigley.

Charlie Blackmon, back in the lead-off spot, has been no stranger to the lead-off home run and lined the seventh pitch of the game’s initial at-bat over the wall in center. He hit it hard to be sure but the heavy winds of Chicago certainly didn’t hurt in helping it out.

The same was true in the ensuing at-bat when David Dahl slashed one into the opposite-field gap that might have been a double or triple on another day, but it sailed over the fence to give the Rockies a 2-0 lead before many fans had settled into their seats.

It was Dahl’s first home run of the season. I doubt it will be his last.

The Cubs answered right back, though Rizzo’s homer on Jon Gray’s first pitch of the game, according to the eye test and to StatCast, was essentially a pop-up that got caught in the wind. Gray decided to keep the ball on the ground after that, getting nine of his next 11 outs via the groundball before breaking out the strikeout stuff.

Nolan Arenado added a solo shot of his own in the top of the fourth, another one that was likely wind-aided. He got off a decent swing on a curveball but was underneath it and just lifted it into the wind.

Kris Bryant hit a single between third and short to start the fourth. Ben Zobrist followed that up with a walk meaning that the fourth would once again be the test inning for Gray. He passed the test with flying colors, getting a trio of quick outs in quick succession to strand the runners on base.

Gray would not allow another baserunner until Kyle Schwarber ripped a one-out triple just inside the first baseline. But once again, Gray bore down, striking out Victor Caratini and getting a one-pitch popup from Jason Heyward to end his night.

It was the second straight fantastic performance for arguably the most important player to the Rockies success this season. He still needs to put together a string of them, but the current signs could not be more positive for Jon Gray.

Adam Ottavino came on in the eighth and just continues to look like a beast among children. He got a pair of weak groundouts and a strikeout to lower his ERA to 0.53.

Wade Davis was tasked with getting the save against his former team, struck out Bryant, walked Zobrist, got a flyout from Addison Russell, and struck out Schwarber to end it, earning his 11th save in 12 opportunities.

Other than the three solo home runs, a single from Gray was the only other base hit in the game for the Rockies. There hadn’t been a home run hit at Wrigley in five games before the four solo shots by the two teams combined in this one.

Colorado improved to 16-15 on the season. They continue to be excellent in road games not played in Miami.

The Rockies busted their own three-game losing streak and broke up a Cubs five-game winning streak.

Final Stats:

Jon Gray: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

Adam Ottavino: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Wade Davis: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Charlie Blackmon: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, HR

David Dahl: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR

Nolan Arenado, 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR

What’s Next:

It’ll be another rubber match for the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon. Tyler Anderson takes on Yu Darvish who was no-hitting the Rockies before falling apart in the fifth the last time the two clashed. First pitch is at 12:20 Mountain Time.