Murphy’s 6 RBIs lead Rockies in rout
Daniel Murphy tees off on the Cincinnati Reds. He is not sure why.
Murphy hit a three-run homer and a three-run double to tie his career high with six RBIs, leading Colorado over Reds 12-2 on Friday night and giving the Rockies consecutive wins for the first time since June 28 and 29.
“I can’t put a finger on it,” Murphy said. “If I could, I would try to replicate it against the rest of the league. I usually have a lot of family here at Great American Ball Park from down in Louisville, and knowing that I have more of my career
me than in front of me, it’s nice to play in front of your family.”
Murphy homered in the first off All-Star Luis Castillo (9-4) and doubled in the ninth against Jared Hughes, raising his career average against the Reds to .350. He Bud Black said.
Taking the mound with a 3-0 lead helped.
“That was big for my confidence,” he said. “I had the mindset that I wanted to go as long as I could.”
Castillo (9-4) lost for the first time in four starts since June 29 and tied his career high by giving up six runs in five innings — more runs than he’d allowed in his previous four starts combined. He allowed eight hits and two walks.
“Those things are going to happen,” Reds manager David Bell said. “They were really aggressive. It seems that they wanted to get to his fastball.”
Cincinnati closed to 3-2 on Joey Votto’s RBI groundout in the first and Josh VanMeter’s home run in the second.
Colorado built a 6-2 lead in the fourth on Blackmon’s RBI double down the leftfield line that kicked up chalk and Dahl’s homer.