Colorado Rockies: 3 Things We Loved from Friday’s Win

The Colorado Rockies opened their seven-game homestand in impressive fashion on Friday night, downing the San Francisco Giants 5-2 before a crowd of 32,901 at chilly Coors Field.

Following a late night/early morning flight into Denver after beating the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night, the Rockies showed no ill effects of the quick turnaround. Using an impressive outing from Tyler Chatwood and a stellar night from their new hitter out of the seven hole, Trevor Story, the Rockies took care of business in the first of three weekend games against the National League West leaders.

Here are three things we loved about Friday’s night win…

Chatwood’s performance

Colorado’s right-hander has been getting it done in amazing fashion on the road, but he showed on Friday night he can be dominant at Coors Field as well.

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Chatwood needed just 84 pitches to get through seven innings, striking out three and allowing just four hits and an unearned run. It was the first time since Juan Nicasio in July of 2011 that a Rockies pitcher had not allowed an earned run or a walk in a start that lasted seven or more innings.

Even when the Giants thought they had him on Friday night, they couldn’t do any damage. Jarrett Parker led off the fifth with a double but Chatwood dialed in from there and the Giants never sent the ball out of the infield for the rest of the frame.

Coming off his second Tommy John surgery, Chatwood lowered his ERA to 2.69 on the season and earned his sixth win.

Story’s Seventh Heaven

Colorado’s rookie shortstop said before the game that he felt no different hitting seventh than he did hitting second. Weiss said before the game that he liked having Story near the bottom of the lineup because it stretched it out and made the Rockies more dangerous. Friday night proved “Story in seven” might be a very good thing.

For the second straight night, Story made the seven hole in the lineup shine, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

The Defense of Mark Reynolds

Colorado’s first baseman has made noise with his hot start at the plate (best batting average for a National League first baseman) but he proved on Friday night what an asset he is for the Colorado Rockies in the field as well.

Reynolds made two stretching saves at first base to prevent Rockies errors, including a key play in the ninth. With Miguel Castro on the mound, Buster Posey hit a one-out triple to right-center. The next batter, Brandon Crawford, hit a comebacker to Castro, who looked Posey back then fired a low throw to first. Reynolds gloved the throw while stretching out to the ground and keeping his foot on the base to make the out.

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The play proved big as the next batter, Gregor Blanco, rapped an RBI single to center. Had Reynolds not made the play, the tying run would’ve come to the plate. Instead, Jake McGee came in to induce Conor Gillaspie into a game-ending popout.