Pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard tied the game with a two-run homer in the ninth inning, and Brenton Doyle hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning as the Colorado Rockies came back to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Saturday night.
Michael Toglia hit a home run, Charlie Blackmon had three hits, and Doyle drove in three runs for the Rockies, who won their second game in a row against Chicago.
Cody Bellinger and Pete Crow-Armstrong each hit a solo home run for the Cubs, who are six games behind the Braves and Mets for the third NL wild card spot.
The Rockies were down 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, and their first two batters struck out against reliever Porter Hodge. But then Hunter Goodman walked, bringing up Hilliard, who was hitting in place of Jordan Beck.
“He obviously pitched to two great hitters,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Goodman had a good at-bat to work a walk. And Hilliard, give him credit. I don’t think he’s given up a homer to a left-handed hitter this year.”
Hilliard took the first pitch as a ball before hitting the next one over the right-center field fence and into the Rockies’ bullpen to tie the game. It was his fifth career pinch-hit homer and his eighth this season.
“The main thing I was telling myself is, just be relaxed,” Hilliard said. “Just put a good at-bat together. If you just touch the ball, it’s gonna go, so I was trying to get on that guy’s fastball because it was playing up and had a little bit of cut to it. He just threw it right there, right in the middle of the plate, and I put a good swing on it. It’s a good feeling.”
Doyle’s single to left field off Drew Smyly (3-8) in the 10th inning scored automatic runner Aaron Schunk to win the game.
“I wanted a pitch up in the zone, and he threw me a curveball up in the zone that started up and I just put a good swing on it,” Doyle said. “I didn’t want to beat anything into the ground, so I knew to elevate something a little bit, and that’s what I did.”
Tyler Kinley (6-1) pitched a scoreless inning to get the win.
Jameson Tallion pitched six innings and allowed two runs, but the Cubs’ bullpen couldn’t hold the lead for him.
