Tovar’s single in the 12th inning gives the Rockies a 9-8 victory, extending the Red Sox’s losing streak to 4
DENVER — Ezequiel Tovar hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to score the winning run in the 12th inning Monday night to give the Colorado Rockies a 9-8 victory over Boston, handing the Red Sox their fourth straight loss since the All-Star break.
“A little Michael Jordan flu game for Tovey tonight,” said teammate Sam Hilliard, whose two-run, one-out home run in the 10th tied the score at 7.
“Stud. He wasn’t in the lineup last night because he was sick. He was good enough to play tonight. To make the winning shot, you could tell he was in great shape. So just the heart he showed tonight was sick, honestly. It was awesome.”
Jake Cave singled against rookie Bailey Horn (0-1) to score Brendan Rodgers with the tying run with no outs in the 12th.
Cave took second when left fielder Tyler O’Neill let the ball get past him for an error, and Jacob Stallings was intentionally walked to bring up Hilliard, who sacrificed the runners on a base. After Aaron Schunk was intentionally walked, Horn struck out Charlie Blackmon three times before being replaced by Chase Anderson.
Tovar had three hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games. Blackmon had two hits, including his seventh home run, and the last-place Rockies won for the fourth time in five games.
“It would be a tough loss for anybody who lost that game,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “Our guys hung in there. They showed a lot of determination. They made some big changes.”
Justin Lawrence (3-3) worked two innings for the win.
Wilyer Abreu’s two-out single in the top of the 12th gave Boston an 8-7 lead. The Red Sox are playing without closer Kenley Jansen, who will miss the series because of health concerns related to Denver’s altitude.
Boston manager Alex Cora was ejected after the 11th inning.
“We didn’t agree with the 2-2 pitch to Stallings,” Cora said. “They (umpires) have the toughest job in baseball.”
Stallings hit a line drive to second base for the first out of the 10th inning before Hilliard homered off Zack Kelly.
“I was just trying to tell myself to shorten it and not overdo it, and I was able to put the barrel on it and it worked,” said Hilliard, who has three homers in 36 at-bats since being added June 21.
“These guys never give up. We’re never going to give up. We think we can compete and beat anybody. Playing spoiler, whatever you want to call it.”
Boston turned double plays in the eighth, ninth and 11th innings, the first two ending an inning.
Backup hitter Dominic Smith doubled in the first run and Rafael Devers added a sacrifice fly in the two-run 10th for Boston’s 7-5 lead, but Hilliard tied the game on a 450-foot, one-out home run in the bottom half.
O’Neill had three hits for the Red Sox, who were swept at Dodger Stadium last weekend but are 29-21 away from home, the third-best record in the major leagues.
“It’s been a tough four games for us, but that’s it,” O’Neill said. “We’re one swing away from winning, one pull away from winning, all these games here. It’s just one of those stretches. We’ve got confidence in ourselves.”
Boston starter Tanner Houck allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings. He entered the game with a 2.54 ERA, the fourth-lowest in the major leagues.
Blackmon hit a two-run home run off Houck in Colorado’s four-run third inning. Boston came back with four runs in the fifth on Jamie Westbrook’s three-run home run off Austin Gomber. Westbrook is in his 11th professional season, his first in the major leagues.
“Overall, the game was pretty flat,” said Houck, making his first appearance at Coors Field. “Not as sharp as I usually am. Ultimately, it’s about executing a little better, a little more finely.”
Gomber allowed four runs and six hits, including five in the fifth. He struck out five batters and walked one in five 2-thirds innings.
“I threw a bad pitch and gave up a three-run home run,” Gomber said. “It’s the best pitch I’ve thrown since 2021, performance-wise.”
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Red Sox: SS Trevor Story (left shoulder) received a standing ovation in his return to Coors Field for the first time since signing with Boston before the 2022 season. He is expected to miss the rest of the season but said he could “possibly” return by the end of the year. … Relief pitcher Justin Slaten (right elbow inflammation) played catch but is not expected to be activated when he is eligible to return Thursday.
Rockies: 1B Kris Bryant (bruised rib, oblique strain) completed a full workout before the game at Coors Field and could be activated Tuesday. Bryant went 5 in 5 at-bats with a 384-foot home run and four singles in his final rehab game for Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday. He hasn’t played in the major leagues since June 2. … Catcher Elias Diaz (right calf strain) missed his second straight game. … All-Star 3B Ryan McMahon (jammed finger) was held out of the starting lineup. … Tovar returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s game with the flu.
FOLLOWING
Left-handed pitcher Ty Blach (3-5, 5.46 ERA) will pitch Tuesday for the Rockies after scheduled starter Germán Márquez was placed on the disabled list Monday. The Red Sox had not announced a starter.
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