Rockies' ROY candidate Rumfield hits longest HR yet for career-high 4th hit

DENVER – TJ Rumfield's first three at-bats were the type of singles that have made him a quiet National League Rookie of the Year candidate.

But Rumfield raised his bat loudly in the sixth inning. His career-best fourth hit went a Statcast-projected 456 feet – the longest of his 13 home runs – for two runs in the Rockies’ 10-3 victory over the Reds at Coors Field on Saturday afternoon.

The long-distance shot came off Reds left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson – significant because it was Runfield’s second left-on-left shot of the year. The other came off the Athletics’ Carlos Cortes, an outfielder who took the mound late in the Rockies’ 23-9 blowout on June 14.

“It’s good to get one off a lefty – to hit it good is one thing, but to hit it far is another,” Rumfield said. “It’s just a good confidence builder for the rest of the season, for sure.”

Rumfield has been a leader of an offense that for the last two months hasn’t always been loud, but it’s gotten its points across.

Going into Saturday, the Rockies led the Majors in OPS (.815) and extra-base hits (146) since June 1. Rumfield, 26, who entered the day leading MLB rookies in batting, lifted his average to .302 with the 4-for-5 performance.

Rumfield’s homer was the last of the club’s 14 hits and the only Rockies homer of the day. Of the three doubles, two – in the first inning by Jake McCarthy and Cole Carrigg – landed in front of outfielders. Brett Sullivan’s second-inning triple was a hard grounder past first base. McCarthy drove in a run with a bunt single on a squeeze play.

“It’s obviously a cool day to have individually,” Rumfield said. “But collectively, this is one of our best baseball games we’ve played as a team. I’m just glad to get the win.”

For the season, the solid at-bats and focus on putting balls in play have yielded results rarely seen in the history of this team, which has struggled with the effects of playing at altitude for half its games and in venues some 4,000 feet or more lower the rest of the time. They now average 5.1 runs per game at home but 4.47 runs per game on the road. They haven’t averaged that many road runs since their 4.72 in 2007, the year they made the World Series.

Days like Saturday, whether it’s the steady drumbeat of balls in play or blasts like Rumfield’s, are increasing in frequency.

“That second inning – one, two, three, four, five singles in a row with two outs, after Tovie [Ezequiel Tovar] strikes out with a runner on third. Just doing it many, many different ways – two-out RBIs, keeping the foot on the gas," manager Warren Schaeffer said.

“We don’t have to hit homers. Just put the ball in play and good things will happen.”

It’s not that Rockies hitters of recent years have changed their ways. They acquired new hitters. Mickey Moniak and Tovar were the only players in Saturday’s starting nine who were with the club in the Majors last season. Rumfield – who came in an offseason trade with the Yankees – and Carrigg are in their debut seasons, and third baseman Kyle Karros (rested on Saturday) is in his first full year.

“We’re so spoiled,” said McCarthy, who arrived in a trade with the Diamondbacks. “All carry themselves very well. Whether it’s through ups and downs, we lean on them. I don’t want to take them for granted. They’re great teammates, great guys and they’re super fun to watch compete and watch grow.”

Rumfield took advantage of all that playing in this venue has to offer. There are plenty of places to put the ball in a spacious outfield, and air that’s friendly when he leans into a pitch. He also showed quick reactions to backhand a one-hop smash from Edwin Arroyo in the third inning.

The victory ended a losing streak at seven games and placed the Rockies at 40-60. Yes, it’s three victories fewer than they managed last year while posting one of the worst records in modern history. But as the second half began, Schaeffer said the Rockies are capable of playing winning baseball in the second half. They’re off to a 1-1 start.

“That’s the goal,” Rumfield said. “In Spring Training, that was the messaging. It was never to go out here and just compete. We want to win every single day.”