RED-HOT ROCKIES SCORCH BREWERS FOR 2ND GAME
MILWAUKEE» The Rockies, steadily rebounding from the worst start in franchise history, added to their momentum here Thursday heading into a nine-game homestand.
Now, perhaps, Colorado (15-17) can push upward in the standings and keep living up to its offensive promise as happened in the series finale against the Brewers. The Rockies ripped off double-digit runs for the second game in a row in an 11-6 victory. With the win, Colorado earned a series split at Miller Park and weathered a threegame losing skid in the middle of its 4-3 road trip, during which it averaged seven runs a game.
“It was a good series to keep bouncing back,” manager Bud Black said. “We didn’t swing the bats well against (Zach) Davies, (Jhoulys) Chacin and their bullpen the first two nights, but we came back with a vengeance these last two.”
Colorado wasted no time teeing off on Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta. Charlie Blackmon got the offense going with a push bunt for a single on the first pitch of the game. From there, Mark Reynolds‘ two-out, bases-clearing double and Raimel Tapia‘s RBI single made it 4-0 in the first.
“A couple walks there in the first inning set the tone,” Black said. “And how about Charlie? It’s a 12 o’clock day game and he lays down a bunt right out of the chute, which gave us a nice lift.”
The flurry of early runs had the lineup looking nothing like it did in early April, when neither the team’s stars nor its role players were producing. And even in the wake of 22 runs over the last two days, Black believes there’s still more of a curve to be climbed for his offense yet.
“Our offense hasn’t even gelled
like it’s going to,” Black said. “It’s starting to, and you’re starting to see signs — Nolan (Arenado) is being Nolan right now, which is great. (David) Dahl had a big game, Tapia’s being productive, Reynolds had a huge hit today.”
The visitors’ blitz continued in the second, when Dahl‘s RBI double and Arenado‘s towering two-run homer to left field — his third long ball in two games — put Colorado up by seven as right-hander Jon Gray set down the first six Brewers he faced. It was a day when Gray didn’t have his sharpest stuff but still managed to rack up nine strikeouts.
It also doesn’t hurt to have the club’s $260 million man back to his hammering ways after waiting until April 14 to deliver his first long ball. Since that day, Arenado is hitting .343 with nine homers and 21 RBIs.
“I always believe I can get better and feel better, but I’m pretty fortunate to feel how I do right now,” Arenado said with a smile. “Earlier the season, I wasn’t feeling good at all.”