As the Rockies’ season winds down, the back of their bullpen is cranking it up.
The relief quartet of Justin Lawrence, Dinelson Lamet, Carlos Estevez, and Daniel Bard combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing the Rockies to hold on for a 4-3 win over the Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Connor Joe’s solo home run to lead off the second inning turned out to be the game-winner.
Colorado took two out of three games from Chicago to capture its first series win on the road since taking three of four games at Arizona July 7-10. Starter Ryan Feltner turned in a solid day’s work, pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up three runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Feltner had two troublesome innings and had particular trouble with veteran catcher Yan Gomes. With two outs in the third, Gomes ripped a two-run single to right, cutting Colorado’s lead to 4-2. In the sixth, Gomes led off with a long solo homer to left on Feltner’s misplaced, first-pitch sinker, whittling Colorado’s lead to 4-3. After David Bote ripped a double, Feltner’s day was done, but Lawrence closed down the inning.
Lamet pitched a one-two-three seventh and Estevez did the same in the eighth. Bard, nails, as usual, set the Cubs down in order to pocket his 32nd save in 35 chances. Bard has a 1.95 ERA.
The Rockies took advantage of rookie right-hander Javier Assad’s wildness to score three runs in the first. Assad walked the bases full. Brendan Rodgers grounded out to second but drove home Yonathan Daza from third. Randal Grichuk followed with a two-run single to right, scoring C.J. Cron and Charlie Blackmon.
Joe, getting a rare start in left field, led off the second with a homer to left off Assad. It was Joe’s seventh home run but just his second since the All-Star break.
The Rockies begin their final homestand of the season when they host the Giants on Monday night at Coors Field.
Rodgers injured. Rodgers left the game prior to the second inning with what the club called left hamstring tightness. Rodgers, in the middle of a deep slump, appeared to pull up lame near the first-base bag when he grounded out to second in the first inning.
Last season, Rodgers suffered a right hamstring strain during spring training on March 13 and did not rejoin the big-league club until May 21.
