DENVER (AP) — Trevor Story hit a grand slam to cap a seven-run fourth inning, letting loose a shout to his dugout and a big bat flip, and the Colorado Rockies overcame two solo home runs by Bryce Harper to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 12-2 on Sunday.
Story hit his third career slam and second home run on a 2-2 curveball from Dave Hale, sending the ball 433 feet into the left-field seats. Story did not hit his first home run of the season until Friday, in his 68th at-bat.
“A lot of emotion for sure. It was fun to let it out there,” Story said of his shout as he ran to first. “It was kind of a turning point in the game, could have turned the game, and it did. I knew I got that one. When you do well it’s exciting. That’s really the true feeling of it.”
Manager Bud Black said Story has been putting a lot of pressure on himself to do more for a team expected to finish last in the NL West.
“There’s a part of me that thinks that he thinks has to do more than what he needs to do, sort of carry the team at times,” Black said. “I tell him he doesn’t need to, he just needs to be Trevor Story. That was jubilation. You could tell by the bat flip, you could tell the way he looked at the dugout. We all knew he got it. That ball was hit hard.”
Harper hit a 430-foot drive to right-center in the first and a 468-foot drive that landed on the second deck above Philadelphia’s bullpen beyond right-center in the third, both off Jon Gray (3-1). Harper, who has six homers, also threw out C.J. Cron at the plate from right field in the second inning trying to score on Dom Nunez’s single, which preserved a 1-0 lead.
“Once I fielded it, I saw the third base coach wave him around,” Harper said. “Knowing the speed of Cronm thought I had an opportunity to make a throw right there. I was lucky enough have J.T. receive that, put the tag on and get a big out.”
Colorado had a season-high 16 hits, four by Cron — including two in the fourth inning, Cron hit a two-run homer off Bailey Falter in the eighth.
Gray allowed two runs and four hits in six innings. All his wins have come at home.
“He’s actually pitched better here than on the road, which you generally don’t see,” Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi said. “He’s one of those guys you better get to him early or he’ll settle in.”
Chase Anderson (0-3) gave up six runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia lead 2-0 before Colorado sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth. Josh Fuentes’ sacrifice fly started the comeback, Gray had a tying single and Raimel Tapia’s a go-ahead single. Hale relieved with the bases loaded, and Story homered for a 7-2 lead.
“The big at-bat was the pitcher,” Girardi said of Gray’s single. “He left a cutter up in the zone and Gray was able to handle it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Girardi said he expects LHPs Matt Moore and José Alvarado, on the COVID-19 injured list, to join the team in St. Louis on Monday. He said INF Ronald Torreyes is not ready to rejoin the team from the COVID-19 list.
Rockies: INF Chris Owings had surgery on his injured left thumb early last week, Black said. Black said he is wearing a soft cast and will soon take ground balls. ... Slumping OF Charlie Blackmon was given the day off. Blackmon is hitting .153 and is 5 for 36 in his last 10 games.
ROOKIE BALLING
Philadelphia’s Nick Maton continued the hot start to his career with two more hits. He has hit safely in each of his first six career games, and has multiple hits in each of his last four.
Per Elias Sports Bureau he is the third player to have debuted in the modern era (since 1900) to have 11 or more hits through his first six games.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler (1-2, 3.80 ERA) faces Adam Wainwright in the first of four games at St. Louis.
Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (1-2, 3.38) will go for his second straight win when Colorado opens a three-game series in San Francisco on Monday night. He lost his first career start against the Giants on April 9.
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