DENVER — Chad Kuhl delivered, again. So did Ryan McMahon. And Daniel Bard.
And so the Rockies rallied to beat Cincinnati, 4-3, Saturday night at Coors Field.
McMahon, who hit a critical three-run homer in Colorado’s 10-4 win on Friday, delivered a game-clinching two-run homer in the sixth inning on Friday.
Kuhl gave the Rockies another fine start, pitching 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks. He improved to 3-0 with a cool 1.90 ERA after his first four starts in a Rockies uniform.
Bard pitched a spotless ninth, striking out two, to notch his sixth save.
The Reds have lost 18 of their first 21 games, matching the 2018 team for the worst start in franchise history.
Kuhl’s night began and ended the same way: with a solo home run surrendered.
Tyler Nanquin teed off on Kuhl’s first pitch of the game with a homer to left, and Aramis Garcia hit a one-out homer to left in the eighth, cutting Colorado’s lead to 4-3. Kuhl became the first Rockies starter to make it into the eighth inning this season, but after Garcia blasted his homer, manager Bud Black gave Kuhl the hook.
The telling moment in Kuhl’s performance arrived in the fifth. Brandon Drury, Nick Senzel and Mike Moustakas drilled three consecutive, hard-hit singles to load the bases. Pitching coach Darryl Scott made a visit to the mound and Kuhl responded by getting Garcia to hit into a double-play grounder, started by third baseman McMahon. One run scored, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead, but Kuhl escaped what could have been an ugly inning.
Reds right-hander Connor Overton was a Rubik’s Cube the Rockies never solved, but once he left the game in the sixth inning with one out and one man on base, the Rockies offense ignited for four runs.
Connor Joe drew a walk from reliever Art Warren and Charlie Blackmon rocketed a double to right, scoring Alan Trejo. Joe, playing heads-up baseball, took advantage of right fielder Jake Fraley’s errant throw and scored from third.
Randal Grichuk drew another walk, setting up McMahon’s two-run triple to left.
Making his Reds debut and just his fourth major league start, and facing the Rockies for the first time, Overton pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and never allowed the Rockies to reach second base.
Overton began the season at Triple-A Louisville, where he made two starts and two relief appearances, going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA, with 22 strikeouts and only two walks.
