Colorado Rockies Win On Nick Hundley’s 8th Inning Home Run

Apr 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Nick Hundley (4) follows his RBI triple in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies took on the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of their four-game series Tuesday night at Coors Field in Denver. 

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Nick Hundley hit a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Rockies overcame a shaky outing by Boone Logan – after a solid start by Chad Bettis – to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 on Tuesday night in the cold temperatures in Denver.

The Rockies jumped early on Phillies starter Aaron Harang, with Wilin Rosario tripling home Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez in the bottom of the first inning, to make it 2-0.

The next hitter, Nick Hundley, singled home Rosario to give the Rockies a 3-0 cushion.

Unfortunately, though, the Phillies would fight back against Chad Bettis, the Rockies’ starter this evening.

In the top of the second, the Phils got two back when Chase Utley doubled home Maikel Franco, and then Carlos Ruiz doubled home Utley.

And then, in the third, Franco singled to center and scored Grady Sizemore to tie the game at three off Bettis, who was making his second start with the Rockies after beginning the year at AAA Albuquerque.

The 3-3 tie would hold long after the starting pitchers left the game, with Bettis throwing the ball pretty well for the club. Across six innings, he allowed eight hits and no walks, giving up just the three runs, while striking out five hitters. He did allow five Phillies doubles, including one to the pitcher Harang, but Bettis also tossed 64 of his 89 pitches for strikes.

Bettis gave way to Rafael Betancourt in the tie game, who threw a scoreless seventh inning, after which the Rockies finally caught a break from the baseball gods.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh, Tulowitzki hit a bloop double that was placed perfectly down the right field line, landing just past the outstretched glove of Grady Sizemore, to bring home both runners and give the Rockies the 5-3 lead heading into the eighth inning.

Boone Logan came on in the eighth to try to hold the lead for the Rockies, and quickly fell apart. After allowing a pair of singles with one out, and throwing a wild pitch to allow runners to move up to second and third, Logan gave up a two-run single to Franco to tie the game at five runs apiece.

Logan then walked Chase Utley and hit Odubel Herrera with a pitch, and was removed in favor of Scott Oberg, who induced a ground ball double play with the bases loaded to end the inning and keep the game tied at five.

In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and two strikes on him, Hundley hit a solo home run off Phillies’ reliever Justin DeFratus to take a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth inning for closer John Axford.

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A three-up, three-down ninth sealed the game for the Rockies, and Oberg, who won it in relief.

The club has now evened their four game series with the Phillies at one game apiece with two more to play on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Rockies and Phillies continue their series tomorrow night, before finishing it on Thursday.

Then, the Rox will welcome the San Francisco Giants to town for a four-game weekend series that includes a doubleheader make-up date from an April rainout.