Sunday was a vintage CarGo kind of day.
During Colorado’s 8-2 win over the Reds, Carlos Gonzalez went 4-for-4, starting the game with a mammoth upper-deck homer for his 1,300th career hit that set the tone for the blowout.
But was the strong individual showing from the 32-year-old outfielder a sign that he’s ready to contribute on more than an intermittent basis, as his been his role during the month of May?
One of the Rockies’ all-time greatest outfielders believes so, saying Sunday was indeed the latest indicator that he can produce on an everyday basis for Colorado — as he also strongly stated last week.
“It was a great game not just because I hit that home run — a home run always gets you excited — but at the same time, I knew I had a whole lot of work to do,” Gonzalez said. “So getting those three hits later on is a good sign.”
But the veteran also acknowledged it’s good to see younger players such as fellow outfielders David Dahl and Noel Cuevas continue to thrive in their platoon/bench roles as well.
As a pinch hitter, Cuevas is hitting .333 (5-for-15), including the game-winning RBI triple off the bench in Friday night’s win. Meanwhile, Dahl is hitting .261 and has shown flashes of power and consistency, including a solo dinger to get the Rockies rolling in the first inning on Sunday. Both were called up on April 22.
“Even when I have down days, I always keep pushing, I always have my smile and I always make sure my teammates feel confident,” Gonzalez said. “Their growth is important to me, too.”
And when he has his solid days as a starter — with his smile and his swing both fully intact — the three-time all-star is liable to make the Coors Field faithful raise from their seats whenever he steps into the box.
The crowd did just that as Gonzalez admired — with a style reminiscent of his 2010 self, when he hit a career-best .336 along with 34 homers — his first-inning blast sail to The Rooftop.
“Style’s forever, man,” Gonzalez quipped. “It stays there all the time. Today was a great example. ”
Absolute 80 grade home run pimp by CarGo. This is nasty, this Hall of Fame worthy.
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious)
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