December 22, 2024

Díaz, Rockies score 11 runs over 2 innings, rally past Reds 11-6

Reds Rockies Baseball

Colorado Rockies' Elias Diaz celebrates after singling to drive in two runs off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft in the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By MIKE CRANSTON Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Elias Díaz drove in three runs and Kris Bryant, Jurickson Profar and Brenton Doyle each had two RBIs in a two-inning, 11-run outburst that helped the Colorado Rockies erase a five-run deficit and beat the Cincinnati Reds 11-6 on Wednesday.
The Rockies sent 19 batters to the plate and recorded 10 hits while scoring five times in the fifth and six more times in the sixth. Doyle’s two-run triple put Colorado ahead to stay in its 11th win in 16 games.
“It’s nice to be part of wins like that,” Bryant said.
And it all happened without a home run, marking the first time since 2019 that the Rockies have scored 10 or more runs without going deep.
“Hitting home runs is fun and everything, but if you can have a good enough offense where you hit line drives up the middle when there’s runners in scoring position,” said Bryant, who is hitting .297 with five homers.
Colorado did most of the damage off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft (2-2), who was charged with seven runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings.
Backup catcher Luke Maile homered and drove in two runs as the Reds built an early lead before collapsing as they finished a 2-4 trip.
“It doesn’t mean a whole lot hitting well and giving up 11 points,” Maile said.
A 32-year-old backup with his fifth team in eight seasons, Maile delivered an RBI single in Cincinnati’s two-run second. He then led off the fifth by pulling 1-0 fastball 424 feet for his second homer and 15th of his career.
Two more hits in the inning chased starter Austin Gomber. Fernando Abad relieved and immediately gave up a two-run double to Stuart Fairchild that made it 5-0.
But the Rockies batted around in the bottom of the inning. Profar, who extended his on-base streak to 27 games, had a two-run double, and Díaz added a two-run bloop single.
Manager David Bell let Ashcraft start the sixth and he couldn’t record an out. Harold Castro doubled and Michael Toglia singled before Bell took him out. Doyle then drilled Lucas Sims’ first pitch for a two-run triple.
Four batters later, Bryant’s liner made it 9-5 and ended Sims’ day. Díaz kept it going with an RBI single off Silvino Bracho.
Gomber allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Brent Suter (2-0) worked a scoreless sixth.
Riley Pint, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft who retired briefly amid control problems in the minors, made his major league debut in the ninth for Colorado. But he could only get one out while allowing a run with three walks.
Pierce Johnson got the final two outs for his eighth save.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: An MRI revealed a lower left leg stress reaction for LHP Nick Lodolo. He’s in a walking boot and will undergo another scan in two weeks. … RHP Tony Santillan, recovering from a back injury, had a throwing session canceled due to hamstring pain.
Rockies: RHP Ryan Feltner, who sustained a skull fracture and concussion after being struck by a line drive Saturday, is resting at home. He could visit his teammates at the ballpark next week. “He’s got a long recovery road ahead of him, but we’ll all be behind him, pushing him,” reliever Justin Lawrence said.
MYERS EXPERIMENTS
Reds veteran Wil Myers, off to a poor start, has been experimenting with a new stance.
“He’s not back as far, so he’s more balanced and upright,” Bell said. “When he gets back too far he’s got to travel forward to get into a good hitting position.”
Myers went 1 for 4 and is batting .204.
TRAIL CLOSED
Some Reds relievers wandered out of the bullpen in the second inning and started walking around the trees and rocks in the center field batter’s eye until plate umpire Vic Carapazza put an end to the hike.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Ben Lively (1-1, 1.69 ERA) will start Friday night against the Yankees on three days’ rest after a 28-pitch relief appearance. Luke Weaver has been pushed back to Saturday, and Hunter Greene goes on Sunday in New York’s first visit to Cincinnati since 2017.
Rockies: RHP Karl Kauffmann will fill Feltner’s rotation spot and make his major league debut Friday night at Texas. The Rockies optioned Pint to Triple-A Albuquerque after the game to open a roster spot.