Their top two pitchers and a bench full of batters are cooling in the infirmary, but the Rockies returned home Friday atop the National League West. Whodathunkit. The improbabilities continued to multiply in a wild fourth inning at as the rain misted down and Colorado continued its climb.
barreled a grand slam to right field. He had never hit a grand slam. Three batters later, slinked an inside-the-park homer to right-center field. He had never homered with the ball still in play.
And the Rockies became the first NL team since 1950 to a hit grand slam and an inside-the-parker in the same inning as they shimmied to a 6-5 victory over Johnny Cueto and the .
The Rockies (11-6) now have victories over Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner and Cueto, three of the best pitchers in their division.
“We’re a very confident group,” Story said. “We’re trying to win no matter who’s pitching.”
After they cruised down the Pacific Coast Highway for a winning 4-2 road trip earlier this week against the two behemoths in their division, the Giants and the Dodgers, a rude welcome greeted them in Denver. Cueto, the wily right-hander with a perfect record, had not pitched in a loss to the Rockies since 2012.
And Cueto was working with a 3-0 lead when grounded out to lead off the fourth inning. By the time Arenado popped out to end the same inning, the Rockies had blown up. , and lined consecutive singles.
Then Story came to bat. Manager Bud Black had bumped him to the seventh spot in Colorado’s lineup because of a .135 average and a strikeout in nearly every other at-bat this season. But he muscled a 1-0 fastball to the right-field mezzanine to clear the bases. It was Story’s third homer to right field among the 30 he has hit in less than two seasons. Cueto had never allowed a grand slam in his 10 seasons.
“I’m trying to just see it and hit it. And luckily I put a good swing on it,” Story said.
It was not the weirdest thing to happen in the inning. Blackmon then looped a line drive toward the bullpens. Giants right fielder Hunter Pence raced to his right but he flopped in the wet grass and Blackmon’s ball went to the wall. Stu Cole waved him home from third like he was fanning flames and Blackmon slid under Buster Posey’s tag.
The last NL team to double-up on oddball home runs in the same inning was the Giants … before they moved to San Francisco from New York.
“I was probably doing more watching than running at that point,” Blackmon said of when he rounded first base. “As soon it got by him, I thought I better be running hard in case there’s an opportunity for me to score. So I turned it on. There was never any doubt in my mind.”
Cueto last week shut down the Rockies for two runs over seven innings. But his victorious outing was the Giants’ only upshot. The Rockies won three of four for the first time in San Francisco, in part behind ‘s complete-game shutout victory.
Chatwood on Friday was hurt by three runs on five hits in the Giants’ second. Brandon Belt’s home run to center field was the other run he allowed. Chatwood left after six innings with the four runs allowed on seven hits — and a lead. Cueto made it through just five innings, with six runs on eight hits.
“We strung some hits together. We haven’t done that often this year,” Black said. “But we’re capable of that against any pitcher.”
BOXSCORE:
The Rox continue to win despite a rash of injuries, including starting pitchers (broken foot) and (testicular cancer). “We are already broken, and we have still managed to put up some W’s,” .
The Giants are now suffering too. Their ace, Bumgarner, sprained his shoulder in a dirt bike accident in Colorado on Thursday. He could miss two months or more.
“We’re up for any challenge,” Black said. “It doesn’t matter who the pitcher is. Our guys don’t care. Whoever we go against, we’re in the fight.”
This Rockies’ homestand includes matchups against two playoff teams from last season, in the Giants (6-11) and (11-5). But by this time next week, if numbers hold when the Rockies (11-6) next hit the road, they could travel to Arizona to fight for first place against the Diamondbacks. Whodathunkit.
