Colorado Rockies classic game: A Jon Gray one-hitter and a Charlie Blackmon walkoff against the reigning “World Champions”

At 7 p.m. (Mountain) tonight, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain will be airing the shortest game in Colorado Rockies franchise history.

Tonight on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, the Colorado Rockies‘ television home, will be airing another classic game. Today, it will be the Rockies’ game from July 25, 2018, in an interleague matchup with the reigning World Champion* Houston Astros (the asterisk is important to note) at Coors Field.

The pitching matchup was between Jon Gray and Charlie Morton and it was a pitcher’s duel. Here are the lineups that each team had that day.

Houston Astros

1. George Springer, CF
2. Alex Bregman, 3B
3. Jose Altuve, 2B
4. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
5. Josh Reddick, RF
6. Marwin Gonzalez, SS
7. Kyle Tucker, LF
8. Max Stassi, C
9. Charlie Morton, SP

Colorado Rockies

1. Charlie Blackmon, CF
2. Ian Desmond, 1B
3. Nolan Arenado, 3B
4. Carlos Gonzalez, RF
5. Trevor Story, SS
6. Gerardo Parra, LF
7. Garrett Hampson, 2B
8. Tom Murphy, C
9. Jon Gray, SP

Some notes entering the game

Per the Rockies PR team, entering the game, the Rockies were 19-9 in their last 28 games, which was good enough for the best winning percentage in the NL and the third-best in baseball in that span. That was due in large part to the Rockies pitching as, since June 19, the Rockies had a team ERA of 3.81 and starting pitcher’s ERA of 3.71, both of which were fourth lowest in the National League in that time.

The offense was also a big factor too since, in that same span, the Rockies were second in the NL in home runs (44) and batting average (.277) and fourth in the majors in runs per game (5.71).

The Rockies’ two best offensive players were on terrors as Trevor Story, since June 8, was hitting .365, which was the highest in the majors in that span. He also had a 13-game hitting streak that was snapped the previous night but that streak was the longest for any Rockies thus far in the season.

Nolan Arenado led the NL in home runs (25) and was third in the NL in RBI (72) entering the game as well. He was also second in the NL in slugging percentage (.591), fifth in OBP (.392), and seventh in batting average (.309).

Ian Desmond was also playing very well as he had a 10-game hitting streak entering the game and, since June 1, he was hitting .292/.381/.565. That OPS was 11th in the NL in that span.

Jon Gray was also recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque less than two weeks prior. This game was his second start since his return but in his first start, he faced the Seattle Mariners and pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed only one run.

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The game

Each team went down 1-2-3 for the first inning and a half. Carlos Gonzalez broke that to lead off the second inning as he hit a solo homer.

Due to some miscues, the Astros took the lead in the fourth inning, though. With one out, Alex Bregman walked and Jose Altuve doubled to score Bregman. Gurriel reached base after Altuve due to an error by Desmond at first base and Josh Reddick reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases.

Altuve scored on a groundout by Marwin Gonzalez but nothing further came. Altuve’s RBI double was the only hit allowed by Jon Gray or the Rockies bullpen all game long.

The score would stay 2-1 Astros until the bottom of the 7th when the Rockies offense got going. Tom Murphy singled to lead off the inning but a forceout bunt by Raimel Tapia claimed Murphy at second and put Tapia on first. Blackmon walked and Desmond singled to load the bases for Arenado. He hit a foul pop fly to score Tapia and make it 2-2.

In the 9th, while facing former Rockies pitcher Collin McHugh, Charlie Blackmon sent the nearly 41,000 Rockies fans in attendance home happy with a walk-off home run in the 9th inning.

Jon Gray pitched seven innings, allowing only one hit, two runs (one earned), one walk, and he struck out six. Adam Ottavino and Wade Davis came on in relief for the Rockies and in their two innings of work, they only allowed one walk and they struck out four.

Not a bad start for a pitcher that was sent down to Triple-A after making an Opening Day start just a few months prior. And as Rox Pile’s Kevin Henry said the morning after this game, the Rockies right-hander seemed to have turned a corner.