Carlos Gonzalez: The 5 Biggest Hits of His Colorado Career

Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies keeps getting hits and establishing new career milestones. Both happened in Wednesday’s 6-5 loss at the Cincinnati Reds.

Gonzalez blooped a one-out double to center field in the sixth inning that fell in front of Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton for the milestone hit. Earlier in the game, Gonzalez had gotten hit #999 on an RBI double down the left-field line.

In all, Gonzalez has 928 hits as a member of the Rockies. He came to Colorado in 2008 along with Huston Street in a trade for outfielder Matt Holliday.

During his career, Gonzalez has rapped 196 doubles, 35 triples, and 180 homers as part of his 1,000 hits. He’s the 77^th active MLB player to hit the 1,000-hit mark. Among that group, Gonzalez ranks seventh in slugging percentage (.526) and is tied for 17^th with a .291 batting average.

To celebrate CarGo’s achievement, let’s take a look back at the five most memorable hits Gonzalez has had as a member of the Rockies.

Next: Number 5: A Grand Time Against the Nationals

August 7, 2015 against the Washington Nationals

With the Washington Nationals holding on to a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning of their home game against the Rockies, Washington manager Matt Williams decided to let his right-handed setup man, Drew Storen, pitch to the red-hot Gonzalez. He would regret the decision.

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Storen issued a walk to Daniel Descalso before Jose Reyes and Nolan Arenado singled with two outs to extend the inning. Gonzalez, in the middle of a stretch that had seen him hit .371 with nine doubles and 12 homers, stepped to the plate.

Storen hadn’t given up a run in 13.1 innings of work over 14 appearances, but he had had some trouble with left-handed hitters. Gonzalez continued that struggle by blasting a 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence to give the Rockies a 5-4 lead they wouldn’t surrender.

“Made one bad pitch and [had] a fastball come over the plate to a really good hitter. It’s kind of the nature of the business,” Storen would say after the game. “So I’m going in there, I’m attacking him with what I think’s best and just trying to get soft contact, and if I would have executed the pitch and it would have stayed where it was that’s probably what I would have gotten.”

Next: Number 4: A Blooper Turns Into A Rockies Win

July 11, 2015 against the Atlanta Braves

Not every hit is a screaming line drive. Sometimes a ball is just hit in the right spot to make a big difference in the game. Such was the case in a game that continued a Colorado hot streak just before the 2015 All-Star break.

Carlos Gonzalez popped a bases-loaded bloop single between two Braves to plate Drew Stubbs with the winning run in a 3-2 victory over Atlanta. Outfielder Cameron Maybin and shortstop Andrelton Simmons both appeared like they might make the catch, but the ball fell between them, sending the Coors Field crowd into a frenzy.

Stubbs started the ninth with an infield single, Charlie Blackmon was hit by a pitch, and Troy Tulowitzki walked to load the bases and set up CarGo’s heroics. Stubbs reached base after Atlanta reliever Jason Grilli’s leg gave way as he raced to first to cover the bag on Stubbs’ grounder to first. Grilli remained on the ground for several minutes following the injury, temporarily halting the game and any Colorado momentum from Stubbs reaching base to start the inning.

The win was part of a four-game sweep for the Rockies that sent Colorado into the All-Star Game break on a high note, one of the highlights of a 39-49 first-half record in 2015.

Next: Number 3: CarGo Victimizes the Braves Again

September 25, 2015 against the Los Angeles Dodgers

Toward the end of the 2015 season and eliminated from playoff contention, there was little that the Rockies had to play for … but you couldn’t tell it from the internal competition that was going on between Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado.

The two Colorado superstars were not only battling for home run supremacy on their own team, but in the National League as well. Earlier in the night, Arenado had launched his 40^th homer of the season. Now, with the game on the line, it was CarGo’s turn.

Call to the Pen

Gonzalez blasted a two-run walkoff homer off Los Angeles reliever Yimi Garcia in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rockies an 8-6 decision and delay the Dodgers from clinching the National League West crown.

DL LeMahieu opened the inning by singling to right field, setting the stage for Gonzalez to finish the game in grand style with his 39^th blast of the season.

“We’re having a lot of fun together,” Gonzalez told reporters after the game, referring to his competition with Arenado. “It’s tough late in the season when you know you’re not going anywhere and you are playing games against teams that are (headed to the playoffs).

“But I keep telling Nolan, ‘Whatever happens, just continue to fight, because you are having a special year.’ It’s the same thing for me.”

Next: Number 1: CarGo Hits a Walk-Off for the Ages

July 31, 2010 against the Chicago Cubs

It’s always fun when you can hit a game-winning homer. It’s simply spectacular if you can hit that game-winning homer to complete the cycle. That’s exactly what Carlos Gonzalez did to end an amazing July in front of a sellout crowd at Coors Field.

CarGo had singled, tripled and doubled earlier in the night in his first three at-bats. Needing a homer to complete the cycle, Gonzalez got exactly that, blasting a fastball from Chicago reliever Sean Marshall an estimated 462 feet into the third deck of Coors Field to give the Rockies the win.

“Big-time players show up in big-time moments,” said Colorado reliever Huston Street, who earned the win with CarGo’s blast. “To hit a walk-off home run and seal the deal on your cycle — cycles don’t happen. They don’t happen in baseball. … He’s just that good, and he’s an exciting player.”

The cycle was the sixth in Rockies history and first since Troy Tulowitzki did it on August 10, 2009. It was the first time a Major Leaguer clinched a cycle with a walk-off homer since Dwight Evans did it for the Boston Red Sox on June 28, 1984.

Gonzalez hit for the cycle after going through a lot of talk circulating that he might be traded to another team. Doesn’t it seem like CarGo always has to deal with that in July?

Next: The 5 Best Things About Coors Field