Rockies break loose for 7 runs in the 4th inning, beat Giants 9-1 to end 4-game skid

By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Ezequiel Tovar had a triple, double and single and Brenton Doyle hit a three-run homer in a seven-run outburst in the fourth inning as the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game skid with a 9-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Colorado, which entered the game with the worst record in the majors, won for just the ninth time and avoided being swept for the fourth time this season.
Charlie Blackmon drove in two runs and finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle for Colorado. The 37-year-old Blackmon has 762 career RBIs, fourth on Colorado’s franchise list.
Michael Conforto gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the top of the fourth before Colorado jumped on starter Keaton Winn (3-5). Tovar tripled to lead off the inning and the Rockies reeled off six straight hits, capped by Doyle’s 430-foot homer to center, his fourth of the season.
Winn got two outs, and then Blackmon tripled and Tovar doubled off of reliever Randy Rodriguez. The Rockies sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth and tagged Winn for seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“Winn got some pitches up and we took advantage, finally, of some mistakes and barreled balls,” manager Bud Black said.
Tovar is the second player in franchise history to have a triple and double in the same inning. Garrett Hampson did it against Arizona on Aug. 11, 2020.
Cal Quantrill (2-3) worked six innings for his second consecutive strong outing. The 29-year-old right-hander pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings at Pittsburgh on Friday and has allowed one run in his last two starts.
“It’s a lot more fun pitching with a six-run lead,” Quantrill said. “I want to win when I pitch.”
San Francisco shortstop Nick Ahmed left the game in the fourth inning when he aggravated a sore left wrist in his at-bat in the third.
“It’s the same wrist he got hit on by the line drive,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s been bothering him off and on a little bit, but obviously affected him quite a bit on that swing. We’ll get a look at him.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: OF Jung Hoo Lee was out of the lineup after fouling a ball off of his foot Wednesday night. “He’s sore enough to leave him out. We’ll see how he responds to treatment over the course of today and where we go from here,” Melvin said.
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland played catch Thursday and will continue to build up, Black said. Freeland (left elbow strain) went on the IL on April 16.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (3-3, 3.50 ERA) will open a three-game home series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (0-2, 3.79) faces former teammate Jon Gray (1-1, 2.50) on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.