Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Seth Smith capped an improbable nine-run rally in the ninth inning with a game-ending three-run homer, and the Colorado Rockies recorded their largest ninth-inning comeback in franchise history with a 12-9 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Trailing by six to begin the ninth, Colorado rallied to somehow win the game.
Denys Reyes began his second inning of work for St. Louis, but Miguel Olivo singled and moved to third on Melvin Mora’s one-out single. Clint Barmes worked a walk, and Reyes uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Olivo to score.
Ryan Franklin (3-1) came in from the bullpen, and Chris Iannetta greeted him with a three-run blast to pull the Rockies to within 9-7.
Dexter Fowler kept the rally going with a double, then went to third when pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe was narrowly thrown out at first on a slow roller to shortstop. It became a one-run game when Carlos Gonzalez followed with an RBI single to right.
Jason Giambi, representing the winning run, laced a single into the gap in right-center. Gonzalez, on the move with two outs, was able to race all the way home after Randy Winn couldn’t handle the ball cleanly, tying the score.
Olivo, batting for the second time in the frame, sent a ground ball single to right to put runners on the corners, setting up Smith’s three-run, game- winning shot that barely cleared the right field fence.
Gonzalez finished with four hits — including a two-run homer — and three RBI for the Rockies, who have won four of five. Giambi, Olivo and Smith each finished with three hits in the victory. Manuel Corpas (3-5) earned the win for pitching two scoreless innings.
Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer against his former team for St. Louis, which has lost four of six. Felipe Lopez added a two-run shot and three RBI in defeat.
The Cardinals jumped on the scoreboard with three runs in the third.
Aaron Miles singled with two away and nobody on, and Lopez followed with his fifth home run of the year. Colby Rasmus kept the inning going with a base hit and scored on Albert Pujols’ double to left.
Gonzalez belted a two-run homer for Colorado in the home half, but the Cardinals’ offense scored in each of the next three innings.
Yadier Molina led off the fourth with a walk, and Tyler Greene followed with a single. Starting pitcher Blake Hawksworth advanced both runners, and Miles’ sacrifice fly and Lopez’s RBI single provided a 5-2 cushion.
Molina singled with Pujols on third in the fifth for another run, and Holliday’s three-run homer in the sixth made it a seven-run contest.
Iannetta’s RBI fielder’s choice groundout for Colorado in the seventh made it a six-run game.
Jeff Francis started for Colorado and gave up five runs, six hits and two walks in four innings…Hawksworth lasted five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and four walks while fanning five…The Cardinals fell to 32-8 when scoring first…Holliday was announced as a participant in this year’s Home Run Derby. He clubbed his first career home run against his former team, for whom he played from 2004-08…The Rockies have recorded five straight 10-plus hit games, a season-high.