DENVER — C.J. Cron continues to pulverize major-league pitching and he’s a gigantic reason why the Rockies are off to an 8-3 start.
The stocky first baseman hit a two-out, three-run homer to left field in the seventh inning off right-hander Jeurys Familia, lifting the Rockies to a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia Tuesday night at Coors Field.
Cron’s homer, his sixth, drove in Charlie Blackmon, who walked, and Kris Bryant, who reached on an infield single. Cron’s homer traveled only 407 feet, his shortest of the season.
In 11 games, Cron has accounted for 36 total bases and driven in 14 runs. He also hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning on Tuesday and is hitting .326 with a 1.199 OPS.
Cron’s heroics were necessary, because at some point, the Rockies’ bullpen, so good through the first 10 games of the season, was going to crack. It was inevitable.
It happened in the sixth when lefty Ty Blach relieved starter Kyle Freeland, inheriting a 3-2 lead. Blach was greeted by a groundball single to left by J.T. Realmuto, followed by a Coors Field-style homer to left by Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber’s 366-foot homer barely reached the seats but it got the job done.
In the eighth, Realmuto doubled to right field off of right-hander Alex Colome and scored on Schwarber’s single, cutting Colorado’s lead to 6-5.
Closer Daniel Bard, however, slammed the door in the ninth with a spotless inning for his fifth save.
Through the first 10 games of the season, Colorado relievers had posted a 1.88 ERA, the best in the majors.
Freeland, who earlier in the day officially signed a five-year, $64.5 million contract, did not pitch a crisp game. And he didn’t get much help from home plate umpire Paul Emmel, with whom Freeland had a verbal sparring session for much of the evening.
But Freeland hung tough and when he left after five innings the Rockies led 3-2. He gave up six hits, walked one, struck out three and hit a batter.
Freeland started off shaky. Rhys Hopkins crushed a one-out triple to center and scored on Bryce Harper’s single to give Philly a 1-0 lead in the first.
The Phillies added another run in the fourth with three hits and a walk. Freeland’s night might have ended right there, but he got Schwarber to ground into a double play, and Freeland was fortunate that Jean Segura’s hard line drive found the glove of center fielder Randal Grichuk with two men on base.
The Rockies have already clinched the three-game series. The two teams face each other Wednesday afternoon in the series finale at Coors where the Rockies have still not lost a series to Philly since losing two of three games in 2012.
