|
 Now he's developing a flair for the dramatic.
The Chicago Cubs third baseman launched a game-winning home run to
left in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a comeback in a wild
9-8 walk-off victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday.
Bryant sent a 1-0 pitch from Rockies right-hander John Axford to
bring home center fielder Dexter Fowler with his 14th home run of
the season.
"For the last three or four games, I think I've hit five or six out
to the warning track and that's obviously frustrating," said Bryant.
"I believe in baseball gods and I believe they pay you back and I
guess I got one today."
It was Chicago's 21st come-from-behind victory and 10th walk-off
win.
Cubs right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano (1-0) worked one inning
for his first career win. Axford (3-4) pitched 2/3 of the ninth
inning and took the loss.
"That's the way to win a ballgame," said Cubs right-handed starter
Kyle Hendricks, who worked five innings and had no decision. "Giving
up the lead was tough, but we're a tough team. We've been in so many
ballgames that being down one with our lineup, we weren't too down."
Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez hit two home runs -- including
a go-ahead two-run shot -- as the Rockies jumped to a temporary 8-7
lead in the top of the ninth.
Gonzalez, who went 4-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs, clubbed his
20th home run of the season off Soriano with none out in the ninth
to cap a four-run inning.
Shortstop Starlin Castro drove in two runs with a go-ahead single in
the fourth as the Cubs scored six times that inning and carried a
7-4 lead heading into the ninth.
Hendricks had no decision for the third time in four outings. Left
hander Jorge De La Rosa also escaped a loss after working just 3 2/3
innings.
Rockies infielder Daniel Descalso cut the margin to two with a
pinch-hit solo home run -- his career first -- to lead off the ninth
off Cubs right-hander Jason Motte.
Motte gave up a base hit to center fielder Charlie Blackmon and
second baseman DJ LeMahieu's double to right put runners on second
and third and forced Motte out.
Soriano entered and got shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to ground into a
fielder's choice that scored Blackmon. That set the stage for
Gonzalez's go-ahead homer to right on a 1-1 pitch.
Gonzalez also had a two-run, third-inning home run that also drove
in LeMahieu for a 2-0 lead.
The homer -- which just cleared the left-field basket -- was the
19th of the season and third in two days for Gonzalez, named Monday
as National League Player of the Week.
He went deep twice Sunday in the Rockies' 17-7 win over the
Cincinnati Reds.
"It's something to see when he gets rolling, it really is," said
Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "He's so talented that he can do
anything out there when he gets hot and he's locked in there right
now."
Colorado had bases loaded in the fourth and two outs for LeMahieu,
who sent a soft grounder to short left that scored first baseman Ben
Paulson and catcher Michael McKenry for a 4-0 lead.
[to top of second column] |
The Rockies then tried a double steal, but Cubs catcher Kyle
Schwarber fired to Bryant to tag out Blackmon for the third out.
Chicago wiped out the 4-0 deficit by producing six runs while
batting around in the last of the fourth.
Colorado's De La Rosa retired nine straight batters to open the game
before walking Fowler and Schwarber to start the fourth.
Bryant then broke the hitless run with an RBI single to left that
brought home Fowler.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo loaded the bases with a single to center
that was mishandled by Blackmon, setting the stage for right fielder
Jorge Soler's base hit to right that brought home Schwarber for a
second run.
Left fielder Chris Denorfia's fielder's-choice grounder to second
scored Bryant, and Castro shook off a slump with a two-run single
that plated Rizzo and Soler for a 5-4 Cubs lead.
Second baseman Addison Russell sent Castro home with a base hit to
deep left with two out that finally chased De La Rosa.
De La Rosa worked just 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on five
hits. He walked two while striking out a pair.
"Command got away from in that fourth inning," said Weiss. "He was
cruising along up to that point. ... It just happened."
NOTES: Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez earned NL co-Player of the Week
honors after producing 11 RBIs and 25 total bases while tying for
the league lead with nine runs and hitting .476. ... From May 29
through Sunday, Colorado SS Troy Tulowitzki has batted .341 -- tied
for fourth best in the majors. ... The Rockies send LHP Yohan Flande
(0-1, 4.24 ERA) against Chicago RHP Dallas Beeler (0-0, 6.43 ERA) in
Tuesday's middle game of the series. ... Cubs president Theo Epstein
said Monday that his team is talking potential trades but nothing is
close. He said if he does land a big name, it would be for long
term. ... Chicago rookie 3B Kris Bryant, just three months into his
major league career, already has the second-most popular jersey,
according to sales figures from MLB.com.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
