Rockies blow big lead, waste Ezequiel Tovar’s big night in 9-8 loss to Marlins

How’s this for a fish story?

The Rockies led Miami 8-4 entering the ninth inning Tuesday night at Coors Field. Then the Rockies lost 9-8 when the Marlins scored five runs in the top of the inning off shaky relievers Tyler Kinley and Angel Chivilli.

Talk about the one that got away.

Kinley served up a bases-load, two-run double to Miami designated hitter Jake “Smash” Burger. Then Jesus Sanchez blasted the game-winning three-run homer off Chivilli.

It was the sixth time this season that Colorado allowed five or more runs — and surrendered the lead in the ninth inning or later — when entering the ninth with a lead. That’s the most such meltdowns in a single season in major league history.

Colorado was up 6-0 after the second inning, meaning Tuesday’s game marked its largest blown lead in a game this season.

Kinley has been Colorado’s best reliever for the last six weeks. He entered Tuesday having held the opponent scoreless in 18 of his last 20 appearances, posting a 1.31 ERA, limiting batters to a .153 average, striking out 24 and walking five.

Monday night, he notched his seventh save by pitching a perfect ninth, with two strikeouts, in the Rockies’ 3-2 win over Miami.

But he was not sharp Tuesday, giving up two doubles, a single, and a walk in the ninth without recording an out. Kinley looked uncomfortable on the mound and kicked the dirt in the landing area, but he didn’t blame that for his poor performance.

“That’s just part of the environment,” he said. “I just didn’t do a good job executing pitches tonight. They laid off some good pitches. But at the end of the day, I didn’t get the job done.”

Manager Bud Black tried to put the loss in perspective.

“It was a tale of two nights, right?” he said. “Chivilli last night — two strikeouts and a very efficient eighth. And Kinley (struck out) two in the ninth last night. So it just goes to show you that in baseball, 24 hours can make a difference. In this game, nothing is predictable.”

Before the Rockies’ bullpen collapse, the story of the night was Ezequiel Tovar.

The Rockies’ young shortstop hit home runs in the first and second innings, added a double in the fourth, and smacked a sacrifice fly to the right-field wall in the sixth.

With his three-hit night, Tovar posted his 81st multi-hit game before turning age 24. He’s tied with Rockies luminary Carlos Gonzalez for fifth-most in that category in franchise history.

“Our most important job at the end of the day is to leave with a win,” Tovar said. “So, although I had a good game, we didn’t leave with a win. We have to do our job a little better to get the results.”

The Rockies, who are 12-3 vs. Miami at Coors since 2019, opened the game with a big bang against right-hander Rod Munzon.

Designated hitter Charlie Blackmon led off with a 452-foot homer that reached the first row in the third deck above right field. Blackmon’s ninth homer of the season was also the ninth-longest of his 14-year career.

Up stepped Tovar, who rocketed Munoz’s 0-2 slider 456 feet to left-center. It marked the fourth time in franchise history that the Rockies opened a game with back-to-back homers. The 456-foot blast was the longest homer of Tovar’s career.

“You know when you make good contact,” he said. “You feel it and you go, ‘Yeah, that ball has a good chance to go.’ If felt it there.”

For those who love quirky baseball history and factoids, there was this nugget unearthed by the Elias Sports Bureau. Blackmon is 38, and Tovar is 23. Their 15-year, 31-day age difference is the largest since 1900 between a team’s first and second batters of a game, each of whom homered.

The previous record was 14 years, 325 days by the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 1939, at the Philadelphia Athletics. Leadoff batter Barney McCosky was born on April 11, 1917, and No. 2 hitter Earl Averill was born on May 21, 1902.

Tovar said he was thrilled to share a historical link with Blackmon.

“Playing with Charlie is simply an honor for me,” Tovar said. “He’s a role model for me with his work ethic and dedication. It’s great to play with him.”

The previous record was 14 years, 325 days by the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 1939, at the Philadelphia Athletics. Leadoff batter Barney McCosky was born on April 11, 1917, and No. 2 hitter Earl Averill was born on May 21, 1902.

Back to the present, it was “Bark at the Park” night, which drew an announced crowd of 20,284 to see the two worst teams in the National League.

Rockies right-hander Cal Quantrill endured a rough start but pitched well enough to be in line for the win until the epic ninth-inning meltdown.

As he’s done all season at Coors, Quantrill hung tough, even though the Marlins punched him for four runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. Quantrill issued five walks, needed 86 pitches, and escaped multiple jams but departed with a 6-4 lead.

“I, obviously, wasn’t feeling very good tonight,” Quantrill said. “I had a tough time staying down in the zone. I haven’t been playing catch as much as I normally do, just trying to stay healthy. I think it showed just a little bit. I was not quite as fine as I can be. We still battled, but that’s a tough one to lose.”

In 12 starts in LoDo, Quantrill is 4-3 with a 4.26 ERA.

Sam Hilliard, who started in center field, hit the Rockies’ fourth homer — a solo blast off Jonathan Bermudez in the sixth. It was Hilliard’s fifth homer.

Injury updates: Left-hander Lucas Gilbreath, who’s back on the 15-day injured list as he continues to struggle with pain in his left shoulder and lat, might not pitch again this season. He’s pitched in just three games in 2024 after missing all of the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“I can’t seem to figure it out,” the Legacy High School graduate said Tuesday. “Every time I think I’ve figured it out, I take three steps back. I thought I was in a good spot and starting to build (strength), but then I went back down.”

In his three games, Gilbreath has been hit hard because his fastball velocity is down, and his slider has no bite, the result of pain in his shoulder.

Gilbreath and the Rockies medical staff “want to avoid shoulder surgery at all costs, ” so the club will investigate every avenue to correct Gilbreath’s shoulder.

Rookie closer Victor Vodnik played light catch Tuesday, his first step toward returning from right biceps inflammation. Manager Bud Black said he’s confident that Vodnik will pitch again this season.

Center fielder Brenton Doyle, the Rockies’ best player this season, was out of the starting lineup for his second straight game because of left knee tendinitis. Doyle and Black say the knee soreness will ease with some time off his feet.

Wednesday’s pitching matchup

Marlins RHP Max Meyer (3-3, 5.44 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (3-6, 5.70)

6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Coors Field

TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM

Freeland is coming off a frustrating loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday. He pitched well enough to win, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits across 6 2/3 innings. But Colorado’s offense was a no-show in a 3-0 loss. The lefty has made seven quality starts in 11 games since coming off the injured list. Freeland has pitched well against Miami, going 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in six career starts.

Meyer, 25, will make his 10th start of the season and faces the Rockies for the first time in his career. He missed the 2023 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He was solid in his last outing, limiting the Cubs to three runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts over six innings. He got a no-decision. The right-hander induces a lot of groundballs. His 49.0% groundball ranks in the 81st percentile in the majors.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Marlins RHP Valente Bellozo (2-2, 3.35) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (1-0, 3.06), 1:10 p.m.

Friday: Orioles RHP Albert Suarez (6-4, 3.18) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (4-9, 4.70), 6:40 p.m.

— Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

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