Sam Hilliard’s two-run homer in the 10th tied the game to set up Ezequiel Tovar’s heroics
The Red Sox broke through with four runs of their own in the fifth, tying the game with clutch two-out swings. Jamie Westbrook’s three-run homer was the backbreaker, then All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran blasted a triple and Rob Refsnyder single through the left side tied the game. Gomber finished with four earned on six hits through 5 2/3, with one walk and five strikeouts.
Ezequiel Tovar Rockies to win
The Rockies re-took the lead in the seventh following a decidedly Red Sox rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. Brendan Rodgers singled against Josh Wachowski, then Jacob Stallings’ two-out double down the right field line scored Rodgers to make it 5-4.Boston didn’t waste time squaring the score back up, as Connor Wong led off the eighth with an arching homer to right off southpaw Jalen Beeks that just cleared the out-of-town scoreboard. That energized the pro-Boston crowd on hand, but the Red Sox failed to grab the lead with further traffic when Beeks induced an inning-ending double play.
The Red Sox appeared to have the final say with two runs off Victor Vodnik in the 10th, thanks to Dominic Smith’s leadoff RBI double to score the California runner and then Rafael Devers’ sacrifice fly a couple of batters later. But Sam Hilliard came through with a two-run dinger in the bottom of the inning off right-hander Zack Kelly.
Hilliard’s hit sailed 450 feet into the Boston bullpen to tie the game 7-7.Justin Lawrence worked out of a jam in the 11th, getting a double-play ball and then inducing another groundout to end the inning. But the Rockies left runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning as right-hander Greg Weissert stymied them. At the conclusion of the inning, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Mark Wegner.
Boston re-took the lead in the 12th via a two-out RBI single off Lawrence by Wilyer Abreu. In the bottom of the inning, Jake Cave scored Rodgers on a single that turned into a double on an error by Tyler O’Neil in left field. Then, a sacrifice bunt by Hilliard and an intentional walk to Schunk set up Tovar’s walk-off single off ex-Rockie Chase Anderson.
The former Rockies All-Star and Silver Slugger made his first trip back to Coors Field on Monday since he signed a six-year, $140 million contract with Boston ahead of the 2022 season. In the time since that mega-deal, Story’s been injury-riddled: He played only 94 games in 2022 due to hand and foot issues. Then, Tommy John surgery limited him to 43 games last year. And this season, another blow: Left shoulder surgery after Story hurt himself diving for a ball in the eighth game of the season.
“There’s been a lot of challenging times,” Story said ahead of Boston’s three-game series against Colorado. “This (shoulder fracture) at the beginning of the year was definitely the toughest thing I’ve had to go through on the baseball field. It kind of broke my spirit a little bit, but also in that sense too, it gave me a different kind of perspective and I had to draw on the strength it takes to get back from a place like that.
“… I haven’t got off on the best foot with injuries to start these first three years, and when I have played, I haven’t felt like myself. I know the type of player I am and I’m excited to show that, and I’m still confident I can do that.”
After blasting 158 homers in six seasons with Colorado while emerging as one of the best defensive and powerful shortstops in the league, including 37 dingers in 2018 and 35 in ’19, Story only has 19 total homers for the Red Sox.
But sporting a significant beard, backward cap and sleeveless red shirt during Monday’s pregame, Story didn’t appear to be carrying the weight of a player who has yet to live up to expectations in Beantown. With energy in his step, he took grounders at shortstop and ran sprints in the outfield. He made handshake rounds during batting practice with some of his old friends in purple. He smiled while messing around with his two young sons in the grass off the third base line.
“We’re going to be smart about it, not do anything reckless, and I’m going to listen to my body because it was a pretty traumatic injury,” Story said. “But we’ve created a lot of momentum so I’m feeling good about that… and I’m not wasting a minute trying to make that (comeback in 2024) happen.”
Story, who rejoined the Red Sox during their weekend series at Dodger Stadium, spent the past few months rehabbing in Los Angeles. He still hasn’t started swinging yet, but there is optimism within the Red Sox organization that Story might be able to fulfill his 2024 return and finally start to be the slugging shortstop Boston saw glimpses of in spring training.
“Obviously it hasn’t been perfect since we got him,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “But at one point, it will be perfect. “On the Rockies’ side, those who knew him as the True Story of old are hopeful Cora is correct. Colorado manager Bud Black said Story’s “still got a lot of good baseball ahead of him.” Friend and former teammate Charlie Blackmon said he hopes “he gets back to his form pretty quick. “As much as Story is looking forward, he took time on Monday to look back at his time in Colorado.
The 31-year-old said the end of the 2018 season remains his fondest memories with the Rockies — a late-season stretch that featured a three-homer game from him at Coors Field, Colorado going toe-to-toe with the Dodgers in the NL West, and the franchise’s last playoff win in an extra-innings wild card victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
By the time Story’s Colorado tenure wound to a close in 2021, the shortstop was the talk of the trade deadline. His desire to play for a contender led him to Boston despite the Rockies making an attempt to re-sign him in the offseason. Colorado received a compensatory pick for that, which they used on yet-to-debut outfielder Sterlin Thompson. “I had crazy emotions (at the 2021 trade deadline)… I thought a trade was going to happen,” Story said.
“There was obviously some mutual interest (in re-signing), but I felt like for me it was time to start a new chapter somewhere else, and Boston is where I felt like home. “The Red Sox entered Monday’s series opener 6.5 games back of the Orioles in the AL East and one game out of the wild card chase. The Rockies, meanwhile, remain on track for a second straight 100-loss season.