Brenton Doyle hit his fourth home run in five games, Austin Gomber earned his first win in seven weeks, and the Colorado Rockies defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night.
Gomber (2-5) pitched seven innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out three to secure his first win since May 15. He outperformed Royals’ top pitcher Seth Lugo, with Ryan McMahon contributing three hits to help Colorado extend their winning streak to three games.
“That was my best performance in a while, although I’ve been feeling really good over the past couple of weeks. I’ve been fine-tuning my game,” Gomber said.
“I felt my fastball was strong, my curveball was effective, and I had some good sliders at times. Overall, I think it was my fastball and curveball that made the difference today.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro praised Gomber’s ability to mix up his pitches, keeping their hitters off balance.
“He varied his speed effectively, throwing hard when we expected soft pitches and vice versa,” Quatraro said. “We didn’t make solid contact often, so credit to him.”
Lugo (11-3) pitched six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits. He struck out five batters and walked two.
In the second inning, Doyle hit his 11th home run of the season after Brendan Rodgers reached base due to a throwing error by Royals’ third baseman Maikel Garcia.
Doyle has been on a hot streak at home, batting 11 for 17 with four doubles, four home runs, and nine RBIs in the last five games. Doyle hit Lugo’s 1-1 pitch over the right-center field fence, landing it 408 feet away in the Rockies bullpen.
“Pitchers like Lugo are tough opponents, and he’s had a great season,” Doyle said. “He’s been consistent, so hitting a home run off him was a big moment for me and energized the team. We played well the rest of the game.”
Doyle’s home run ended Lugo’s streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings and handed him his first road loss of the season. Before this game, Lugo had been dominant in nine road starts, boasting a 7-0 record with a 1.93 ERA.
