Colorado Rockies: A glimpse at what could have been in 2020

With starter Chi Chi Gonzalez on the hill, San Francisco jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just two innings.

At that point, pessimists probably figured that the Rox were destined to drop a third straight game in the series to the Giants after Colorado won the opener on Monday night.

But, on this afternoon, that was not the case.

Gonzalez exited the game in the sixth inning with Colorado trailing 3-2. Manager Bud Black then turned to his bullpen, which had been burned the previous two nights by faltering in the late innings as has been the case in more than one instance this season.

But not this time.

After Gonzalez, Black handed the ball to Tyler Kinley. The right-hander was the first of four Rox relievers to see time on the hill the rest of the way.

Kinley, along with Mychal Givens, Daniel Bard, and Jairo Diaz combined to allow just two hits and one run (a solo homer by Brandon Belt to knot the game at 4-4 in the eighth inning off Givens) over the final 5.2 innings.

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In particular, Bard turned in a yeoman’s performance. The right-hander tossed a season-high 2.2 innings permitting just one hit, one strikeout, and a pair of walks (both were intentional walks to load the bases in the 10th inning).

He was able to pitch into a third inning by being extremely efficient with his pitch count. In his 2.2 innings, he threw 27 pitches with 21 going for strikes. Is it any wonder why we believe he should be the NL Comeback Player of the Year?

That efficiency helped him escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th inning. In addition, Bard was aided by a defensive gem from shortstop Trevor Story. Story backhanded a, one-out, one-hop smash off the bat of Evan Longoria and, while on his knees, fired to home plate to get a force out.

Bard, who picked up the win to improve his record to 4-2, then got the final out to end his stellar afternoon.

After the Rockies had taken the lead in the top of the 11th inning, Colorado needed someone to come in and convert on a save opportunity.

Diaz, who had been struggling recently since opening the season with three saves in the team’s first 12 games, found himself with runners on first and third and only one out and Giants’ leadoff hitter Austin Slater coming to bat.

But, in this instance, Diaz rose to the occasion.

He induced Slater to bounce into an around the horn (5-4-3) double play to end the contest. The save for Diaz was his fourth of the year but first since Aug. 6 in the Rockies’ 6-4 win, ironically, against the Giants at Coors Field.

Gonzalez, making his final scheduled start of the season, lauded Diaz for his outing on the mound as well as the play of the entire team.

“Everyone played great today from defense to offense,” Gonzalez said. “We stayed in it the whole game. (We) grinded. I grinded from pitch one. I am happy. That’s what’s this team is about is grinding until it’s the last out.” Added the right-hander: “Very, very happy with Jairo. Coming in, keeping calm, keeping his composure and being able to do that with a man on second and no outs. It’s very tough. “Mac (Ryan McMahon) made some great plays (at third base) for me today and with Jairo as well. Made the decision to go to two, made the double play (with Garrett) Hampson. That energy was great. We’re going to take that into tomorrow and we’re going to finish the season strong.”

While the pitching and defense performed well, Colorado’s offense came up with 13 hits and rallied from its 3-0 early deficit to take a 4-3 lead after seven innings.

Four hits in the fourth inning provided a pair of runs with the final one coming via a single from Raimel Tapia with two out — a situation the Rox have had their problems in converting throughout the year.

Charlie Blackmon had an RBI groundout in the seventh inning before Josh Fuentes put Colorado ahead 4-3 with another two-out hit in the inning.

In the pivotal 11th inning, Sam Hilliard’s grounder to the right side moved Hampson, placed at second to start the inning, to third base. After pinch-hitter Matt Kemp drew a key walk on a 3-2 pitch, Tapia plated Hampson with a one-out sacrifice fly.

If not but for one game, the Rockies showed Thursday afternoon all facets of the game — pitching, hitting, and defense — plus the ability to come from behind then put away an opponent when the opportunity afforded.

A winning formula that, unfortunately, has not been evident nearly enough for a season that could have been in 2020.