Ezequiel Tovar singled in the winning run with the bases loaded and two outs in the 12th inning on Monday night, helping the Colorado Rockies secure a 9-8 victory over Boston. This handed the Red Sox their fourth consecutive loss since the All-Star break.
Teammate Sam Hilliard likened Tovar’s performance to Michael Jordan’s legendary flu game. Hilliard, who hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to tie the game at 7-7, praised Tovar for his determination despite not being in the lineup the previous night due to illness.
“Tovey wasn’t feeling well yesterday and didn’t play. To come back tonight and get the game-winning hit, you could see he was battling,” Hilliard said. “The effort he showed tonight was impressive.”
The Rockies rallied in the 12th inning when Jake Cave singled off rookie Bailey Horn (0-1), scoring Brendan Rodgers to tie the game. Cave advanced to second base on a fielding error by left fielder Tyler O’Neill, and Jacob Stallings was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Hilliard sacrificed to move the runners before Horn struck out Charlie Blackmon. Chase Anderson then replaced Horn.
Tovar, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with three hits, delivered the game-winning hit. Blackmon contributed with two hits, including his seventh home run. Despite being in last place, the Rockies have now won four of their last five games.
Rockies manager Bud Black praised his team’s resilience, noting the importance of key hits in a hard-fought game.
“It was a tough game, and whoever lost it would have felt it,” Black said. “Our guys showed a lot of grit and determination. We had some clutch hits.” Justin Lawrence (3-3) pitched two innings to earn the win.
Boston briefly took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 12th inning on Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single with two outs. The Red Sox, missing closer Kenley Jansen due to concerns about the Denver altitude, saw manager Alex Cora ejected after the 11th inning.
“We had some disagreements with the umpire’s call in the 11th,” Cora explained. “Umpires have a tough job in baseball.” Stallings hit a line drive to second for the first out in the 10th inning before Hilliard hit a home run off Zack Kelly.
“I was just reminding myself to stay compact and not try to do too much. I managed to connect well with the ball and it went,” said Hilliard, who has hit three home runs in 36 at-bats since joining on June 21.
“These guys never give up. We’re always ready to compete and believe we can beat any team. Whether it’s playing spoiler or whatever you want to call it.”
Boston grounded into double plays in the eighth, ninth, and 11th innings, with the first two ending the inning.
Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith doubled to score the first run, and Rafael Devers added a sacrifice fly in Boston’s two-run 10th to take a 7-5 lead. However, Hilliard tied the game with a 450-foot home run with one out in the bottom half.
O’Neill had three hits for the Red Sox, who were swept at Dodger Stadium last weekend but have the third-best road record in the majors at 29-21.
“These past four games have been challenging for us, but that’s all it’s been,” O’Neill said. “We’re just one swing away, one out away, in all these games here. It’s just one of those stretches. We have confidence in ourselves.”
Boston starter Tanner Houck allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings. He entered the game with a 2.54 ERA, the fourth-lowest in the majors.
Blackmon hit a two-run home run off Houck in the Rockies’ four-run third inning. Boston responded with four runs in the fifth, including Jamie Westbrook’s three-run homer off Austin Gomber. Westbrook is in his 11th season as a professional but his first in the majors.
“All in all, my stuff was just not as sharp,” said Houck, who made his first appearance at Coors Field. “I wasn’t executing as well as usual. Ultimately, it comes down to fine-tuning.”
Gomber allowed four runs and six hits, five of them in the fifth inning. He struck out five and walked one in 5 2/3 innings. “I made one mistake and gave up a three-run homer,” Gomber said. “It’s the best I’ve thrown the ball since 2021, in terms of my stuff.”
