Rockies give up three homers at Angels as late rally falls short in defeat

A precocious roster alteration connected Wednesday near the Rockies without an disposable starting pitcher.

The Angels took afloat advantage, blasted 3 homers, and established a four-run pb midway done the nighttime successful Los Angles. Colorado staged a comeback to necktie it successful the eighth. Raimel Tapia was the workhorse with 4 hits, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

But L.A. pulled distant precocious for an 8-7 triumph to assertion the three-game series.

It was bullpen nighttime for Colorado aft scheduled starter Chi Chi Gonzalez was placed connected the COVID-19 injured database anterior to the game. It is unclear erstwhile Gonzalez volition return. His lack opened the doorway for Lucas Gilbreath, a Legacy High School graduate, to marque his archetypal vocation MLB start.

Gilbreath lasted a azygous inning — 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 earned tally — earlier the Rockies cycled done 4 further pitchers to adjacent the game.

The Rockies took a first-inning pb astatine Angel Stadium. Tapia ripped a leadoff treble and Trevor Story capitalized with a two-run homer — his 13th dinger of the season. The Angels rapidly chopped into their deficit, 2-1, erstwhile Jose Iglesias smashed an RBI-double disconnected Gilbreath that scored Shohei Ohtani.

Colorado built connected its vantage successful the 4th with assertive basal moving by catcher Elias Diaz. He walked connected six pitches, and erstwhile Ryan McMahon deed a flare down the near tract line, Diaz hustled to third. Then a chaotic transportation from Angels’ starter Ryan Heaney brought Diaz location to spell up 3-1 connected a headfirst slide.

Rockies’ reliever Antonio Santos entered for Gilbreath and pitched 2-2/3 scoreless innings. Tinoco replaced Gilbreath successful the 4th erstwhile the crippled spiraled. Ohtani blasted a three-run homer (his 37th of the season). Then Justin Upton added a two-run heavy shot.

The Rockies kept Tinoco successful the crippled for the fifth. L.A. catcher Max Stassi roped his archetypal transportation for a solo location run. Suddenly, the Angels led 7-3.

But Colorado made its propulsion successful the seventh with a two-run treble from Tapia that scored Garrett Hampson and Joshua Fuentes. Tapia made it a one-run game, 7-6, erstwhile helium scored connected a throwing mistake from Angels 2nd baseman David Fletcher.

Colorado reliever Ben Bowden tossed 4 combined strikeouts implicit the sixth and seventh innings to support the comeback wrong reach. Then Brendan Rodgers tied the crippled with an RBI azygous that scored Fuentes. But it wouldn’t last.

Carlos Esteves pitched the eighth for Colorado. He gave up an RBI azygous to Angels’ Phil Gosselin that brought location L.A.’s game-winning run.

The Rockies (44-58) purpose to physique affirmative momentum connected Thursday to statesman a four-game bid astatine the San Diego Padres. Colorado is 11-38 connected the roadworthy this season.