Rockies lose to Tigers in 10 innings on Zach McKinstry’s three-run homer – The Denver Post

The Rockies lived by their bullpen all night. And lived well.

But the feel-good story ended in the 10th inning when the Tigers ripped right-hander Pierce Johnson for three runs en route to a 4-2 victory at Coors Field before a sellout fireworks crowd of 48,108.

With ghost runner Jonathan Schoop on second to open the 10th, Eric Haase singled off Johnson, advancing Schoop to third. Up stepped Zach McKinstry, who hammered Johnson’s 1-0 fastball 400 feet and into the Rockies’ bullpen for a three-run homer.

“That was a well-pitched game by both sides and it came down to a couple of pitches in the 10th,” manager Bud Black said. “They got us … they got the big hit from McKinstry.”

The Rockies made some noise in the bottom of the frame against right-hander Alex Lange. Jurickson Profar drew a two-out walk and Kris Bryant delivered a broken-bat, RBI single to left to score ghost runner Coco Montes. But Lange struck out Ryan McMahon to end the game.

Colorado, with its rotation depleted by injuries, used six pitchers in the game.

Right-hander Peter Lambert opened for Colorado, becoming the 13th starting pitcher the team has used this season. And talk about a spot start. Lambert made his first big-league start since Sept 29, 2021, vs. Washington, a span of 641 days. Prior to that, he went 736 days between starts, from Sept. 20, 2019, to Sept. 24, 2021, as he battled through an elbow injury and Tommy John surgery.

Lambert made the most of his opportunity, even if it was a short-lived stint as an “opener.” The right-hander pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out two. He threw 45 pitches (27 strikes) and needed just 10 pitches in a one-two-three first inning.

“I thought I got ahead of hitters pretty well, especially in those first two innings,” said Lambert, who said he would love to become a part of the rotation going forward.

Lambert was pressed in the second inning when Matt Vierling sliced a two-out triple into the right-field corner, but Lambert struck out Miguel Cabrera looking at a nasty slider to finish off the inning.

Lambert said that, given the opportunity, he believes he could pitch deeper in the game, making as many as 70 or 80 pitches.

Colorado put the first run on the board in the sixth. C.J. Cron ripped a double to right-center off Jose Cisnero and scored on Ezequiel Tovar’s single to left. Tovar extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the best of the season by a Rockies player. Tovar is tied for the fifth-longest hit streak by a rookie in franchise history, joining Jordan Pacheco in 2012. Tovar is slashing .357/.373/.589 during his streak.

But the Rockies’ offense was mostly a dud, producing just six hits.