The Sports Xchange
Aug 30, 2017
DENVER -- Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer in a four-run seventh inning, and the Colorado Rockies defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Monday night.
Arenado's blast capped a rally that included two singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly. The half-inning began with the score 3-3.
The Rockies entered the game hitting just .223 this month with runners in scoring position and .181 in their past 11 games, seven of them losses.
Jonathan Lucroy led off the seventh inning with a single and scampered to third when Trevor Story followed with a single. Pinch hitter Carlos Gonzalez, who was not in the lineup for the second straight day due to a sore left ankle, lifted a sacrifice fly to center to give the Rockies a 4-3 lead.
The sacrifice fly finished the outing of Detroit starter Michael Fulmer (10-12), who lost his sixth consecutive decision.
After Charlie Blackmon grounded into a forceout, Warwick Saupold walked DJ LeMahieu. Arenado then belted a three-run homer, a 436-foot shot to left-center. It was Arenado's 30th homer of the season and boosted his major-league-leading RBI total to 111.
Arenado had three hits in his previous 23 at-bats and had gone hitless in 10 consecutive at-bats with runners in scoring position before he went deep and broke up the game.
Rockies starter German Marquez allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings with one walk and a career-high-tying 10 strikeouts. He also notched 10 strikeouts July 29 at Washington. In his past nine home starts, Marquez is 6-0 with a 3.26 ERA.
Marquez was very much in control for six innings, giving up one run in that span. However, the Tigers tied the game at 3 in the seventh when Mikie Mahtook walloped a two-run homer.
Marquez gave up a leadoff double to Nicholas Castellanos to start the inning. The runner broke for third on James McCann's chopper that shortstop Story charged. Story threw out Castellanos, but Mahtook followed with his 10th homer when he connected on Marquez's 1-1 slider.
Jose Iglesias then singled, beating Marquez's throw on a broken-bat nubber and ending Marquez's 87-pitch outing that included 63 strikes. Pat Neshek (5-3) came on and retired the two batters he faced.
Fulmer gave up eight hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
LeMahieu gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the first when he hit an opposite-field homer into the right-field stands. He connected on Fulmer's full-count 96 mph fastball for his seventh homer of the season and third in four games.
Gerardo Parra sliced a two-run, two-out single to left in the third, putting the Rockies ahead 3-0. The hit scored Blackmon, who reached base on an infield single, and LeMahieu, who walked. Both runners moved up on Arenado's slow grounder to third.
After Upton's hit, Marquez retired the next 11 batters he faced before Mahtook doubled with one out in the fifth. John Hicks followed with a double that cut the Rockies' lead to 3-1.
NOTES: Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera did not play due to lower back soreness that caused him to leave the Monday game in the fifth inning. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (left knee surgery) is scheduled to throw three innings or 40-45 pitches Thursday for Triple-A Albuquerque in his second rehab start. ... Plate umpire Mike Everitt was hit with a Mike Fulmer warm-up pitch before the bottom of the first, and second base umpire Tom Woodring took over behind the plate after a 12-minute delay. ... Rockies prospects who will play for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League include RHPs Yency Almonte, Shane Broyles, James Farris and Zach Jemiola, C Dom Nunez and OF Yonathan Daza. The Tigers will send RHPs Adam Ravenelle, Zac Reininger, Spencer Turnbull, INFs Kody Eaves and A.J. Simcox and OF Cam Gibson to play for Mesa in the AFL.