Brenton Doyle caps impressive July with game-winning 8th-inning home run as Rockies beat Angels 2-1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Brenton Doyle capped an impressive July with a power home run in the eighth inning, Ezequiel Tovar extended his hitting streak to 17 games and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Wednesday night to end a five-game losing streak.
Logan O’Hoppe hit a solo shot in the fifth inning for the Angels, who are 2-4 in their current home series.
Doyle, who missed Tuesday’s game with a bruised right index finger, hit a sliding shot off Hans Crouse (4-2) that traveled 431 feet into the left-field stands beyond the bullpen to put the Rockies back in front.
“I know this guy is a little bit too strong on the slider. I just wanted something a little higher and something I could handle,” Doyle said.
It was Doyle’s 11th home run of July, tied with Oakland’s Brent Rooker for the most in the major leagues, and it was his 19th extra-base hit, which led MLB.
Doyle’s .337 batting average (29-of-86) for the month ranked third in the National League. He led the National League in slugging (.791) and OPS (1.191).
It’s a turnaround for Doyle, who hit .223 in June and was mired in a 5-for-40 stretch entering July.
“Those tough moments in the season open your eyes and tell you that you need to work on something. I’m grateful that that stretch happened because if it didn’t happen, I might not be where I am today,” Doyle said.
Rockies manager Bud Black said he hopes Doyle will be named National League Player of the Month after becoming the first Rockies player to hit 10-plus home runs in July since Carlos Gonzalez in 2015.
“He deserves it,” Black said. “It’s a great sign of stability and self-belief to keep moving forward, to keep the faith and know that your talent is going to get you through a tough time.”
Kyle Freeland (3-4) won for the third time in his last four starts and tied his season high by pitching seven innings. The left-hander allowed one run and six hits while striking out six.
Victor Vodnik retired the Angels in order in the ninth for his fourth save in six chances.
Tovar got the Rockies’ first hit with a one-out hit to left field in the first inning. He advanced to second base when Ryan McMahon drew a two-out walk and scored on Kris Bryant’s single to left field.
Freeland had allowed just two hits and was facing the minimum in four innings before O’Hoppe hit a single over the wall and onto the right-field sideboard to tie it at 1-1 in the fifth inning.
It was O’Hoppe’s 15th home run, good for third among major league catchers.
Angels starting pitcher Davis Daniel was solid. In his first major league start since July 8, the right-hander allowed one run and five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Daniel was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake after allowing 12 runs (11 earned) in two starts after pitching eight scoreless innings in his first MLB start on June 27 against Detroit.
“He gave us a really good start,” manager Ron Washington said of Daniel. “The problem was we couldn’t support him with any points other than the one we got from O’Hoppe.”
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Rockies: OF Nolan Jones (lower back strain) went 0 for 1 and walked three times in his second rehab game for Single-A Fresno.
Angels: 3B Luis Rengifo felt something trigger in his right wrist during an at-bat in the eighth inning. Washington said they will see how Rengifo feels Thursday before making a decision.
FOLLOWING
The finale of the three-game series. Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-10, 4.99 ERA) is one of three major league pitchers with an ERA under 5.00 and at least 10 losses. Angels right-hander Carson Fulmer (0-2, 3.77 ERA) is making his fourth start of the season.
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