Home runs before and after rain delay help Rockies avoid winless homestand

DENVER — On getaway day, the Rockies didn’t wanna get away.

Perhaps staring down the barrel of the worst homestand in nearly 11 years had something to do with it. That’s how long it has been since the Rockies went winless when having at least 6 consecutive games at Coors Field.

So, in the bottom of the ninth, with a 4-3 deficit and fans scurrying amidst a deluge, Ryan McMahon took it upon himself to ensure that the Rockies would have one more shot after the rain. He uncorked a 442-foot blast off the third deck to tie the game — leading to the umpires mercifully calling for the tarp as puddles began forming on the infield dirt.

An 85-minute delay followed. When play resumed, left fielder Nolan Jones finished it off. Four minutes after play resumed, Jones crushed a 472-foot shot to right center field to give the Rockies a 5-4 walk-off win.

It was Jones’ third home run during the 6-game homestand and his fourth overall since the Rockies gave him his second call-up this season from AAA Albuquerque.

The Rain McMahon.

🗳️ https://t.co/WDjLr0xoEt pic.twitter.com/iNnUes1pBs

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 11, 2023

Together, McMahon and Jones finished what second baseman Coco Montes started.

The power blast wasn’t wholly unexpected for Montes. The University of South Florida product raked at AAA Albuquerque, notching 12 home runs, a .321 average and a .960 OPS before getting the call Sunday. With a slash line of .274/.359/.500 last year in AAA, his strong start this year wasn’t a fluke.

Now that's how you make an MLB debut!#Rockies pic.twitter.com/UPFoTTBmDg

— AT&T SportsNet™ | RM (@ATTSportsNetRM) June 11, 2023

Montes finished the day 2-for-3, lacing a single to right field in his first MLB plate appearance in the second inning. But simply getting to that at-bat was a challenge. In the top of the second inning, Montes collided with center fielder Brenton Doyle while running down a Xander Bogaerts pop fly. After on-field examination, medical personnel cleared both Doyle and Montes were to continue.

Also of note was the start of pitcher Dinelson Lamet. He entered Sunday’s game with 12.42 ERA and a 2.46 WHIP in 14 appearances, including two starts during the last two turns through the rotation. Lamet failed to make it beyond the third inning in those two previous starts. He allowed 5 earned runs to the Diamondbacks and three to the Giants while taking the loss both times.

But against the Padres’ power-strewn lineup, Lamet held his own, lasting five innings and surrendering two earned runs on 91 pitches. After surrendering 2 runs — 1 earned — in the fourth inning, he retired Manny Machado, Gary Sánchez and Xander Bogaerts on nine pitches in the fifth.

The Rockies’ bullpen did the rest, holding the Padres to a single unearned run in the final four innings.

Rookie Ezequiel Tovar accounted for the Rockies’ other run. He slugged a 424-foot solo shot to the left-field stands in the first inning.

Still battered by injuries, the Rockies fly to Boston lugging the worst record in the National League. But on Sunday, at least, two of their AAA call-ups from recent weeks managed to provide punch in replacement duty as the Rockies avoided the ignominy of their worst homestand since before Peyton Manning threw a regular-season pass for the Broncos.

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