DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double in the Colorado Rockies’ 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Doyle finished with three hits, the tiebreaking double coming off reliever John Schreiber (3-3). Michael Toglia had a solo home run for Colorado that weathered a replay review.
Salvador Perez had an RBI single and Freddy Fermin added three hits, including a single off Jalen Beeks leading off the ninth inning. Nick Loftin followed with a single before Beeks retired the next three batters for his eighth save. Victor Vodnik (2-1) worked a scoreless inning in relief for the victory.
The Royals went up 1-0 in the first inning when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled and scored an out later on a single by Perez.
Toglia connected on a 2-2 offering from Cole Ragans in the third inning, sending it the opposite way and just barely over the left field fence. Left fielder Dairon Blanco made a leaping attempt at the wall, his glove appearing to make glancing contact with the cupped hands of a fan who also tried to catch the ball. The ball dropped into the first row of the bleachers. The replay review upheld the home run call, ruling there was no conclusive evidence the spectator had interfered with Blanco in the field of play.
The Royals moved in front on an unearned run in the fourth inning, and the Rockies tied it at 2 in the sixth on Elias Díaz’s RBI single.
Both starters turned in solid performances, with Ragans going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight but had four wild pitches, the most in a game by a pitcher this season. Colorado’s Kyle Freeland also went seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — on seven hits.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies RHP Germán Márquez is getting closer to returning from reconstructive elbow surgery. Márquez threw 69 pitches for Double-A Hartford on Thursday in his second rehab start, striking out two and walking one. He reached 99 mph with his fastball. “He came out of that fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s healthy. He feels good.” Márquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is expected to have one more rehab start Tuesday with Hartford and could rejoin the Rockies during their seven-game road trip next week that leads up to the All-Star break July 15-18.
UP NEXT
Kansas City RHP Seth Lugo (11-2, 2.17 ERA), who’s tied for the major league lead in wins, was scheduled to start Saturday against LHP Austin Gomber (1-5, 4.72 ERA).