Gray guides Rockies past Cardinals

[August 01, 2018]    Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez homered to back the strong pitching of right-hander Jon Gray on Tuesday night, helping the Colorado Rockies turn back the host St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 to even their four-game series at a game apiece.

Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (32) pitches during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Gray (9-7) went 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and four hits. He walked two and struck out five.

After Matt Carpenter hit Gray's fourth pitch of the first inning for a leadoff home run, the Rockies did all the scoring until the eighth, building a 6-1 lead in the process.

Blackmon's homer, his 21st of the season, came with two outs in the third inning and gave Colorado the lead for good, also scoring Ryan McMahon, who had walked.

RBI doubles by Trevor Story and Gerardo Parra in the sixth inning made it 4-1 and ended the night for Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty (4-6), who worked 5 1/3 innings.

The rookie was charged with four runs on five hits. He walked two and fanned seven.

Gonzalez's homer, his 13th, came off the Cardinals' third pitcher, John Brebbia, in the seventh. The two-run shot also scored Ian Desmond, who had walked, to increase the Colorado lead to 6-1.

The Cardinals cut into the deficit in the eighth and knocked out Gray.

Singles by Tyler O'Neill and Yairo Munoz, sandwiching a walk to Dexter Fowler, loaded the bases with one out and sent Gray to the showers.

Newly acquired Seunghwan Oh entered to retire Carpenter on a sacrifice fly that cut the Cardinals' deficit to four, after which Fowler scored on a wild pitch and subsequent throwing error by Colorado catcher Tom Murphy.

However, Oh was able to retain the 6-3 lead by getting Yadier Molina to ground out, and closer Wade Davis came on to record a 1-2-3 ninth for his 31st save.

Gonzalez scored twice, and he, Story and Parra collected two hits each for the Rockies, who had a four-game winning streak ended Monday night in a 5-4 Cardinals walk-off win.

Carpenter had two RBIs and O'Neill two hits for the Cardinals, who fell to 3-2 on their seven-game homestand.

The Rockies out-hit the Cardinals 9-4.

--Field Level Media

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