Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking, two-out double in the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies produced their first winning streak of the year with a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday in Denver.
Elias Diaz, Brenton Doyle and Brendan Rodgers had two hits each for Colorado, which is the last team to win consecutive games this season.
The Rockies got the latest victory thanks to an eighth-inning rally. Doyle singled to left, stole second and Jake Cave was intentionally walked. Grant Anderson (0-1) fanned Elehuris Montero for the second out before Blackmon hit a two-run double to center to put Colorado ahead.
Jake Bird (1-1) got the win in relief, and Jalen Beeks pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
Corey Seager homered and doubled and Ezequiel Duran also had two hits for Texas.
Texas’ Jon Gray and Colorado’s Austin Gomber dueled for four scoreless innings before the Rockies got to Gray in the fifth. Ezequiel Tovar doubled to left with one out. Gray struck out Ryan McMahon, but Diaz ripped an RBI single to right to make it 1-0.
Seager tied it with a home run on the first pitch of the sixth inning. It was his fourth of the season.
Gray allowed one run on eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one while pitching at least six innings in his third straight start. It was the first appearance in Colorado for the longtime Rockies pitcher.
Texas went ahead in the seventh when Duran singled with one out, moved to second on a groundout and went to third on Gomber’s throwing error on Leody Taveras’ dribbler. Justin Lawrence relieved Gomber but walked Marcus Semien and Seager to make it 2-1.
Lawrence fanned Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning.
Gomber was charged with two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings.
Colorado answered in the bottom of the inning. Blackmon led off with a walk, before Texas reliever Jacob Latz got the next two outs. Anderson took over on the mound, and Taveras dropped Diaz’s popup to center field, allowing Blackmon to score from first to tie the game 2-2.
–Field Level Media