Colorado Rockies secure first win of season against Toronto Blue Jays

Kevin Sousa

The Colorado Rockies are no longer a winless team after beating the Toronto Blue Jays 14–5 on Monday evening at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Rockies were up 2–1 and added seven more runs to their lead, sparked by first baseman and outfielder Troy Johnston drilling a homer on a fly ball to right field, which helped first baseman TJ Rumfield advance home.

Colorado was the first team to score after outfielder Jake McCarthy hit a ground ball, but was still able to reach first base on a fielding error made by Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce, leading third baseman Kyle Karros to score, putting the Rockies ahead 1–0 in the top of the third inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, Toronto evened the score after outfielder and designated hitter George Springer homered to left-center field off right-handed pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.

Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck hit a ground ball to the middle of the diamond, but was still able to reach first base on a fielding error by second baseman Ernie Clement, which drove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar home, helping Colorado regain the lead.

Beck, catcher Braxton Fulford, center fielder Brenton Doyle, first baseman and catcher Hunter Goodman, and utility player Willi Castro were the other players who scored runs for the Rockies, giving them a 9–1 lead at the top of the sixth inning.

Neither team scored again until the eighth inning, while the Rockies scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning. Toronto, on the other hand, scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Goodman hit a double on a sharp line drive to Blue Jays left fielder Jesus Sanchez, which ended up being deflected by center fielder Nathan Lukes, helping Doyle advance home.

Shortly after, Tovar hit a double on a sharp fly ball to Lukes, sending Goodman home. Rumfield also singled on a sharp line drive to right fielder Addison Barger, which pushed shortstop Ryan Ritter and Tovar across home plate.

The Blue Jays fired back as second baseman and shortstop Andres Gimenez and infielder and outfielder Davis Schneider each launched home runs off right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander. Sanchez scored a run as a result of Schneider’s homer.

Fulford helped the Rockies score their final run of the game after blasting a home run on a fly ball to left center field off Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Tyler Heineman in the top of the ninth inning.

Toronto finished the game with a fight as infielder Kazuma Okamoto hammered the last home run of the game on a fly ball to center field off Dollander in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Dollander was named the winning pitcher and is now 1–0 this season after pitching four innings, allowing five hits, four runs (four earned), three home runs, and striking out five.

Sugano and Jaden Hill were the two other pitchers Colorado used on the mound.

The Rockies (1–3) will play the second game of their series in Canada against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, with the game once again being played at Rogers Centre. First pitch is at 5:07 p.m. MDT, and the game will stream on Rockies.TV and be broadcast live on KOA 850 AM and 94.1 FM Radio.