After the Rockies selected Tyler Anderson out of Oregon in the first round of the 2011 draft, it took him five years to make his major-league debut, that coming June 12.
Saturday night at Coors Field, the pitcher was rewarded for his perseverance, talent and self belief. The 26-year-old left-hander pulled off a rare hat trick. He not only posted his first major-league win, he rapped out his first hit and walloped his first home run in the Rockies’ 8-3 victory over the Phillies.
“Absolutely memorable,” Anderson said. “Not something to dwell on, but something to remember for sure.”
Colorado won for just the third time in its last 11 games. Conversely, Philadelphia lost for just the third time in its last 11 games.
Anderson’s mound work was impressive, but not quite dominant: two runs and nine hits allowed over six innings. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 105 pitches, 70 for strikes, and once again made Rockies fans think about former ace Jeff Francis.
But baseball, as they say, is a funny game, and it was Anderson’s bat work that brought the sellout fireworks crowd of 48,105 to its feet. He singled in the third inning, but that was just a preview of coming attractions.
The Rockies were trailing 2-0 in the fifth with just three hits for their nightap work when Anderson provided his own fireworks. He hit a no-doubt, two-out, two-run laser over the right-field wall off Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff. Anderson was clearly amped up as he ran the bases.
And he almost didn’t get the chance. Manager Walt Weiss was asked how close he was to pinch-hitting for Anderson before the homer.
“About as close as you can get,” Weiss said. “I knew I wanted to stay off a big portion of the bullpen tonight, so that was part of the decision (to keep Anderson in).”
Tony Wolters’ blooping, two-out single started the rally.
Anderson’s home run was the first of the season by a Rockies pitcher, and their first since Kyle Kendrick hit one Sept. 7 last year against the Padres’ Ian Kennedy at Petco Park.
“It was an exciting point in the game when we needed a good at-bat,” Anderson said. “There was a chance Walt was going to pinch- hit for me, but he trusted me enough to let me go out for the sixth inning. I was just really pumped that he trusted me to do that.”
After Anderson’s homer, the Rockies started rolling. Their six-run sixth inning was powered by Wolter’s three-run triple into the right-field corner.
All-star third baseman Nolan Arenado had a double and a triple, boosting his average to .290. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who somehow didn’t draw much all-star consideration, went 2-for-4 — increasing his average to .333.
Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph, who beat the Rockies with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the seventh inning Friday night, stayed as hot as Denver’s mid-July weather. He led off the second with a homer to deep left field, hammering Anderson’s 83 mph cutter.
Joseph led off the fourth with a double to right and scored on Carlos Ruiz’s one-out single, bumping Philly’s lead to 2-0.
But it was Anderson’s night — hitting the homer and then giving the Rockies six innings for his first victory.
“That whole chain of events was huge tonight,” Weiss said.
