ARLINGTON, Texas — Prior to Monday afternoon’s game at Globe Life Field, manager Bud Black was blunt about what the Rockies need to do in 2022.
“We need to hit more homers, especially on the road,” he said.
Ask and ye shall receive. Help from the baseball gods didn’t hurt either.
The Rangers seemed poised to tie up the game in the 10th, but an umpire’s call on the field was overturned via replay and Mitch Garver was ruled out at second base for obstructing second baseman Brendan Rodgers, ending the game.
And so the Rockies won 6-4, spoiling the Rangers’ home opener. (If not for the reversed call, it would have been 6-5 with a runner on second base).
Connor Joe, fast becoming a LoDo folk hero, lined a solo homer to left off of Greg Holland in the 10th for what proved to be the winning run. Earlier in the inning, Jose Iglesias singled home Randal Grichuk, who began the extra inning as the “ghost” runner at second base.
It was a do-over for the Rockies, who had seemingly won the game on C.J. Cron’s solo homer to lead off the ninth. But Colorado closer Daniel Bard gave up a solo homer to right by left-handed hitter Willie Calhoun with two outs in the ninth, making it 4-4.
Cron, who led the Rockies with 28 home runs last season, connected on a 1-0, 95 mph fastball from Joe Barlow.
The Rockies rallied to tie the game, 3-3, in the eighth on a throwing error to first by shortstop Corey Seager that allowed Iglesias to score.
Colorado, 3-1 to open the season, got a solid start from left-hander Austin Gomber, and mostly steady work from its bullpen. Right-hander Ashton Goudeau got the first save of his career.
Cron and Joe’s homers wiped away what could have been an ugly repeat of the Rockies’ performance on the road last season. Although Colorado banged out 14 hits, they were 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Last year the Rockies hit .252 with runners in scoring position overall, but just .203 away from Coors Field.
A prime example of the Rockies’ frustration was on full display in the second inning.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Kris Bryant and a triple by Cron, the Rockies appeared primed to pile on, with two on and none out. But no dice. Left-hander Taylor Hearn struck out Joe, Charlie Blackmon, and Bryant in succession.
Gomber, making his first start since going on the injured list on Sept. 4 with a lower-back injury, pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits.
The Rockies and Rangers finish up their brief two-game series on Tuesday night.
