Amador, Rumfield Homer as Rockies Beat Orioles 4-2

(Denver, CO = Won Jeong) The Colorado Rockies defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 in the second game of their home series on Tuesday.

Colorado used six pitchers, including starter Gabriel Hughes, to hold Baltimore to two runs and snap a five-game losing streak. The victory also ended a franchise-record 10-game home losing streak.

Hughes delivered a strong start for Colorado, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four over 4⅔ innings.

Working primarily with his four-seam fastball, Hughes mixed in his curveball and changeup while also using his sinker effectively to record outs and keep Baltimore’s hitters off balance.

Colorado opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning through Adael Amador, who had been called up from Triple-A.

Amador lifted an 84-mph breaking ball from right-hander Kyle Bradish over the right-field wall for a solo home run, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead.

Zac Veen followed by attacking a low-and-away slider and driving a deep shot off the right-field wall. The ball nearly cleared the fence, but Veen raced into third base with a triple.

Jake McCarthy then brought Veen home with an RBI single into right-center field, giving Colorado two runs in the inning and extending the lead to 2-0.

Baltimore responded in the top of the third.

Leadoff hitter Carlos Narváez reached first on a line-drive single to center field. Pete Alonso followed with a single toward third base, allowing Narváez to advance to third.

Gunnar Henderson then hit a ball directly to the first baseman, resulting in a double play that retired Henderson and Alonso. Narváez scored from third during the play, cutting Colorado’s lead to 2-1.

The game tightened again in the seventh inning.

Jackson Holliday opened the scoring for Baltimore in the top half by attacking a high sinker from Jaden Hill and sending it over the right-field wall for a solo home run. The blast tied the game at 2-2.

Colorado answered immediately in the bottom of the seventh.

Leadoff hitter Mickey Moniak reached second base following a fielding error by second baseman Holliday.

T.J. Rumfield then faced Luis De León, who was making his Major League debut, and took advantage of a slider left over the middle of the plate. Rumfield barreled the pitch and drove it over the right-field wall for a two-run home run, putting Colorado back in front 4-2.

The Rockies protected the lead with Juan Mejia taking the mound in the eighth inning and Jordan Romano pitching in the ninth, keeping Baltimore’s offense off the scoreboard.

Colorado used five relievers behind Hughes to effectively shut down the Orioles’ lineup. Baltimore, meanwhile, used three relievers after Bradish.

The teams will conclude the three-game series on Wednesday.

Colorado is scheduled to start Tomoyuki Sugano, who enters the game with a 5.23 ERA, while Baltimore will counter with Trevor Rogers, who owns a 4.38 ERA.

Rogers holds the advantage in ERA, but Sugano enters the matchup with a 12-8 record this season and will look to rebound from a difficult outing in his previous start as he pursues his 13th victory of the year.