SAN FRANCISCO -- The crowd collectively held its breath as Charlie Blackmon launched a deep fly ball toward McCovey Cove in the ninth inning.
It went foul, and was confirmed foul after an umpire review.
Blackmon then shot a single up the middle, the Rockies’ fourth hit of the inning against Giants closer Jake McGee. The comeback attempt ended when C.J. Cron struck out swinging, but Colorado’s lineup began to show signs of life for the first time in its six-game road trip.
The Rockies ultimately could not string together enough timely hits, dropping the second game of the series to the Giants, 5-4. The club is winless through the first four games of its road trip, dropping to 13-44 away from Coors Field -- the worst away record in the Majors.
“It was a good game,” manager Bud Black said. “We came back. We just fell one swing short.”
Colorado was in a hole early after Austin Gomber gave up all five runs in the first two innings. Gomber, whose road ERA (5.80) is nearly four runs higher than his home ERA (1.70), walked three batters, marking just the fourth game this season in which the left-hander has given up more than two walks. Two of the other three games were also against the Giants.
“I felt like I made adjustments tonight, but when you give up four in the first and you lose 5-4, it stings,” Gomber said. “I thought the rest of the team did a fantastic job, the bullpen was great, just to keep us in the game.”
The Rockies have struggled to get on base this road trip, and when they have gotten men aboard, they haven’t been able to bring their baserunners home. Colorado went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position Friday night, leaving 10 on base. Altogether, over the past four games, the club is 2-for-25 with runners in scoring position.
The Rockies’ offense came to life with 11 hits after being held to five or fewer in each of the last three games. Cron went 3-for-5 with two doubles, while the newly focused Ryan McMahon and Brendan Rodgers extended their career-best hitting streaks to 10 and 15 games, respectively. Rodgers now owns the second-longest active streak in the Majors.
The biggest hit of the night belonged to a former Giant. Connor Joe, who made his Major League debut as San Francisco’s Opening Day left fielder in 2019, pulled a fastball from McGee into the left-field bleachers to bring Colorado within one run of the Giants in the ninth.
“That was a big step for me when I debuted with the Giants, and whether I was ready or not, I'm not sure,” Joe said. “I believe I needed that experience. I needed that time with the Giants to learn. I needed that time to go back to the Minor Leagues and learn.
“I'm more confident in my approach every time I step into the box.”
Joe’s two-run shot, his sixth of the year, was hammered, clocking in at 110 mph off the bat and traveling a projected 407 feet.
The 28-year-old rookie was called up to the big leagues for the third time this season on July 20 -- and since then, he's provided a power surge for the Rockies’ lineup. Joe is slugging .672 with three doubles and 18 RBIs in his last 18 games, and all of his home runs this season have come during that span.
“He doesn’t have a lot of Major League at-bats. He’s getting them now,” Black said. “He’s on pitches. He’s swinging at strikes, taking balls. His swing is crisp, there’s bat speed through the zone. He’s trying to make a statement, simple as that. He’s working his butt off at first base, he’s working his butt off in the outfield.
“The at-bats are showing up as quality. That’s what we like.”
Joe, who signed a Minor League deal with the Rockies at the beginning of the season, is determined to make the most of his time in the Majors. For him, every day is a chance to prove that he belongs in the big leagues.
“I've been fighting for a spot and fighting for opportunities since Spring Training, so nothing's really changed,” Joe said. “Every day I walk into the park, whether it's in Scottsdale, or here in San Francisco, or when we get to Denver, I got the same mindset every day I show up to the park.”