TORONTO -- This time the Rockies gave themselves a nice cushion.
After three straight one-run losses to start the season, Colorado opened the floodgates on Monday evening, riding a seven-run sixth inning to a 14-5 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
What a way to secure the first win of the young season, just hours after a tricky travel day that had the team landing in Toronto in the middle of the night. There was a bit of everything in that booming sixth, from a no-doubt homer to gritty walks and yet another stolen base. That’s exactly the type of offense the Rockies are working to become on a consistent basis. Seeing it come to fruition can be a strong motivator.
“These guys, they expect to put up good ABs every day,” said manager Warren Schaeffer. “Motivation-wise, it's good for them to have that day, specifically pinch hitters off the bench. They did a really nice job today. … That's what we want our identity to be, to move the line. So nice job by them today.”
It felt like the line would never stop moving.
The first blow came off the bat of Troy Johnston, who launched a two-run homer -- his first with the Rockies -- and made way for the rest of his lineup to join in on the fun. Most of the ensuing damage came with two outs, the product of good baserunning, quality plate appearances and a bit of luck.
Pinch hitter Braxton Fulford extended the lead with an RBI single, Willi Castro delivered a bases-loaded two-run double and Ezequiel Tovar drove in another pair with a double of his own. Colorado sent 11 hitters to the plate, finishing the inning with six hits, two walks and one swiped bag.
It was one of three stolen bases by the Rockies in the win, a continuation of their efforts to manufacture opportunities with runners in scoring position. The club now has eight swiped bags in the first four games of the season, trailing only the Brewers’ 11.
“They've bought into what we're trying to do in terms of taking advantage of what the other team gives us,” said Schaeffer. “So hopefully that's a consistent thing that we're going to do this year.”
That’s just one way in which this offense can be dangerous, though. The Rockies trust that those sixth-inning at-bats are a sign of what’s to come.
“I think our identity is putting together good at-bats and throwing strikes and pounding the zone, just being an all-around really good team,” said Johnston. “... Tonight we really showed that. We put together good at-bats, we were ourselves, and all we wanted to do was truly win as a team.”
Everybody had a role to play on Monday night.
All that run support was a welcome development for a pitching staff that kept the game under control until the late innings. Tomoyuki Sugano led the way in his Rockies debut, allowing just one earned run -- a solo homer -- on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Not a bad way to start the season, exactly one year removed from his Major League debut in this same ballpark as a member of the Orioles.
His manager was also left with a good first impression.
“Late night for him last night, no excuses, ready to pitch,” said Schaeffer. “He pitched really well today. Threw all of his pitches for strikes, kept them off balance. He was really good and gave us a good chance to win.”
That’s what the Rockies were hoping for from their experienced new starter, one of the many guys finding a new groove in the Colorado clubhouse.
All through Spring Training, the Rockies have been preaching levity, an environment in which players feel free to be themselves and play to their strengths. A simple shift like that can make a world of difference, especially when the results begin to show up. No one is losing sight of the main goal, though.
“Our goal here is to win,” said Johnston. “Our goal here is to do very well, and do really well by the Colorado Rockies. … We're gonna take it day by day. It's a very long season. It's game four of 162, so there's a lot of baseball to be played, but as long as we stick to our morals and stick to our goal of winning, I think we're gonna come out really successful, and we're gonna surprise a lot of people.”