The Sports Xchange
Aug 2, 2017
DENVER -- Nolan Arenado singled home the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning Tuesday night, giving the Colorado Rockies a 5-4 win over the New York Mets.
Arenado, who drove in four runs, collected his second walk-off hit of the season and the fifth of his career.
Charlie Blackmon, who ended the top of the ninth inning with a stunning catch, led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk against Hansel Robles (6-2). Blackmon broke for second on Robles' 3-2 pitch to DJ LeMahieu. Shortstop Amed Rosario took a step toward second base, and LeMahieu's hard grounder went off his glove for an infield single.
Arenado, who put the Rockies ahead 3-2 with a three-run homer in the sixth, drove Robles' first pitch into center field for the winning hit and his major-league-leading 95th RBI of the season.
Blackmon made a leaping catch in center of Asdrubal Cabrera's long drive to conclude the Mets' ninth. Blackmon banged into the wall and went down but held the ball.
Mike Dunn (3-1) worked a scoreless ninth inning.
Jay Bruce lofted a home run off the right field pole to open the eighth and give the Mets a short-lived 4-3 lead. He connected against Chris Rusin for his 28th home run of the season.
It was the seventh homer allowed by Rusin in 55 innings this season but the third he has yielded in five games, a span of eight innings.
The Rockies tied the score in the bottom of the eighth with a hit nowhere near as majestic as Bruce's.
Mark Reynolds and Gerardo Parra opened the inning with singles, the latter's an opposite-field flare to short left off left-hander Jerry Blevins.
Trevor Story grounded into a force play that put runners on the corners. Carlos Gonzalez brought in a run with a slow roller to third that he beat out for a single, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.
Through no fault of his own, Pat Neshek was charged with a blown save in his Coors Field debut with the Rockies. He struck out pinch hitter Jose Reyes with one out in the seventh inning, but catcher Ryan Hanigan was charged with a passed ball on the third strike. Michael Conforto singled, sending Reyes to third.
Reyes scored to tie it at 3 on Cabrera's sacrifice fly that wasn't hit that deep. Blackmon might have had a play at the plate, but his throw went straight to the ground and assuredly became a blooper-reel staple.
The Rockies got to Mets starter Steven Matz in the sixth. Arenado put Colorado ahead 3-2 when he hit his 24th home run, a three-shot to right center. It came after Blackmon led off with a single and LeMahieu doubled, the ball landing just inside the left field foul line.
Reynolds finished Matz with a double, the fourth straight hit to start the inning. Matz allowed six hits and three runs in five-plus innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Mets went ahead 2-0 in the sixth when Yoenis Cespedes led off with a single and Bruce turned on an 83.5 mph changeup with the count 1-1 and lined it into the right field corner for a run-scoring double.
Mets shortstop Amed Rosario, rated the team's top prospect, made his major league debut. An infield single on his fourth at-bat in the eighth off Scott Oberg gave Rosario his first hit in the big leagues.
NOTES: Rockies C Jonathan Lucroy, acquired Sunday from Texas, was activated but was scratched because of a stomach illness. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (testicular cancer) is scheduled to pitch six innings or 90-95 pitches Thursday for Triple-A Albuquerque in his fifth rehab appearance. ... Rockies LHP Jake McGee (mid-back strain) underwent an MRI on Monday that showed no structural damage. He will play catch Wednesday and is eligible to be reinstated Sunday. ... Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles was released after being designated for assignment Saturday. ... Colorado C Tony Wolters was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Mets CF Juan Lagares (fractured left thumb) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton and went 2-for-3 while playing five innings in center field. ... New York RHP Robert Gsellman (strained left hamstring) threw three scoreless innings in his second rehab start for Binghamton.