MEDIA CLIPS – July 6, 2017

Send #BeLikeMark to All-Star Game Moustakas, Turner carry leads for All-Star berths into final hours

By Mark Newman / MLB.com | 10:11 AM ET

We are down to the final hours of the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. That means a different wrinkle in the voting process: In addition to the standard Final Vote ballot, you can also use your Twitter account to send two players to the 88th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

Virtually anything can happen in fan balloting for these close races. Royals Mike Moustakas and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner remain atop their respective league races for the third straight day, combining for more than

30 million votes. Moustakas would join as the only two-time Final Vote winners. The 2017 Esurance MLB

All-Star Game Final Vote (#FinalVote), held exclusively online via MLB.com and the individual club sites, closes at 4 p.m.

ET.

The winners will be announced during MLB Tonight, live on MLB Network and MLB.com, at 6 p.m.

Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again includes social-media votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward vote totals.

Until 4 p.m. ET today, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners.

The last day of voting in the Final Vote historically has seen impassioned activity and creative campaigning, leading to late-stage runs at the overall leaders. As of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, the standings remained the same as they were on

Wednesday, meaning that Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Red Sox were still in second 1

place after starting in the at last year's Midsummer Classic in San Diego. Whatever happens in the final hours is up to you.

Turner, whose .384 batting average continues to boggle the mind, is followed in order by Bryant, Nationals third baseman , Rockies and Marlins first baseman Justin Bour.

In the American League, Moustakas, who added to his career-high total with his 25th homer on Wednesday, is followed in order by Bogaerts, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and Rays first baseman Logan

Morrison.

Andrus went on paternity leave Wednesday to be with his wife, Cori, as she was getting ready to deliver their first child.

The paternity leave allows Andrus to be away from the team for a maximum of 72 hours.

Last year's Final Vote winners were first baseman Brandon Belt (Giants) and Michael Saunders (Blue Jays).

Here are the nominees with the hashtags to vote for them:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Elvis Andrus: #ElectElvis

Xander Bogaerts: #VoteX

Didi Gregorius: #sirdidi4sure

Logan Morrison: #GoLoMo

Mike Moustakas: #VoteMoose

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Justin Bour: #VoteBour

Kris Bryant: #VoteKB

Anthony Rendon: #VoteRendon

Mark Reynolds: #BeLikeMark

Justin Turner: #VoteJT

On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB

Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. 2

Chatwood seeks to lower walk rate in finale

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | 8:57 AM ET

The Rockies have found much success this season on the backs of their young pitching, but in Thursday's series finale, it will be the Reds who throw out a green starter in rookie Sal Romano.

Romano has made just one start in his MLB career, coming on April 16 vs. the Brewers. The right-hander went just three innings (82 pitches), giving up three runs on three hits and four walks. But Romano is fresh off an eight-inning complete game in his last -A start, and has a 3.06 ERA in nine starts with Louisville.

"This is where you want to be," Romano said. "I'm very fortunate to get the opportunity again. It's my job to make the most of it and give the team a chance to win tomorrow."

The Rockies counter with veteran Tyler Chatwood, who has had a mostly up-and-down season. Chatwood has walked 15 batters over his past three starts after walking just four in three starts prior to that.

Things to know about this game

• Chatwood has one of the highest curveball spin rates in the Majors, per Statcast, with an average of 2,980 RPM. Higher spin rates tend to lead to more swinging strikes and ground balls, and opposing hitters have just one hit against

Chatwood's curve this season compared with 15 . However, Chatwood throws his curveball only 11.3 percent of the time.

• Billy Hamilton has taken only three at-bats against Chatwood, but has two doubles off the righty and two RBIs. Just three other active Reds hitters have faced Chatwood -- , Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez -- and they are a combined 2-for-9.

• With Devin Mesoraco on the DL, Tucker Barnhart will be the Reds' everyday catcher again, much like he was first month of season. When Mesoraco was healthy, the two catchers had split time. Mesoraco had been hitting .234/.333/.459 on the season with six home runs.

3

Gray's arm, bat lead Rockies past Reds

By Max Gelman and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 2:51 AM ET

DENVER -- Jon Gray hit a two- homer, a 467-foot shot to center field, and delivered 5 2/3 workmanlike innings in the

Rockies' 5-3 win over the Reds at Coors Field on Wednesday night.

"It felt good, but I was just glad that it ended up being a big part of the game," Gray said of his .

Gray, whose two-way performance helped the Rockies win their 50th game of the season as they try to keep up with the division-leading Dodgers, said he felt his command was off Wednesday despite his final line reading two earned runs on eight hits and a walk. As a result, he decided to be more deliberate with his pitches.

"I just wanted to slow things down, because sometimes I can get up on the mound when something bad like that happens and my emotions take over, and I don't really think about the pitch and making the out," Gray said.

Shortstop Pat Valaika added a two-run homer in the fourth, and knocked in an insurance run in the eighth inning with a single. That made things a bit easier for All-Star Greg Holland, who earned his 28th with a slick glove save against to close it out.

"Greg had to get through the top of their order. Once you get [Zack] Cozart, here comes [Joey] Votto, here comes

Gennett," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "We stretched it to two, which was big."

The only demerits for Reds starter Scott Feldman were the two homers, but they were enough to do him in. Feldman finished the night after five innings and 88 pitches. Reds mostly kept things under control after Valaika's home run, at one point retiring 11 consecutive Rockies.

"I didn't have the best fastball command tonight," Feldman said. "It was a battle when you're going up against a good team like that and you don't have your best command. Unfortunately, I gave up a couple big hits there and lost the game.

Never a good feeling."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Oh, Oberg: The Reds nearly came back in the sixth inning thanks to some poor Rockies defense, but they weren't able to capitalize. Votto led off the frame with an infield hit, reaching base after Mark Reynolds bobbled his grounder and Gray

4

overran first base trying to cover it. Later, after the Reds loaded the bases and Scott Oberg entered for Gray, Nolan

Arenado made a rare fielding error -- just his third of the season -- allowing Gennett to score. Oberg then coaxed a dribbler from Billy Hamilton, with Alexi Amarista making a quick exchange to throw out the speedster, leaving the Reds short.

"You get so comfortable seeing Nolan make the plays, you're like, 'Is that guy even capable of making errors?'" Oberg said. "But after that happened, I still had to do my job and make pitches to Hamilton and keep the game where it was."

Not Rusin anywhere: The Rockies again found themselves in trouble in the seventh when Cozart doubled off Oberg to open the inning. Chris Rusin immediately came in, and the Rockies defense did not falter this time. After Rusin walked

Votto and struck out Gennett, Eugenio Suarez hit a hard grounder right to Arenado. Making up for his error the previous inning, Arenado corralled the ball, stepped on third base and fired to first to complete the double play. Overall

Wednesday, the Reds were 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

"Once they got the lead there, they had every intention on trying to keep it," Gennett said. "That's the thing. That's why when you do put the ball in play and get some runners on, it's important to push them across, because when you're facing good pitching like that, it's tough to really have that big inning."

QUOTABLE

"He hit it pretty far. You never want to give up hits, period, to pitchers. I feel like you should get the out every time.

To pretty much lose the game on that, it's not a good feeling. At the same time, I threw the ball right down the middle. You can't really do that." -- Feldman, on Gray's home run

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Gray's home run was not only the first of his MLB career, it's also the first he has hit at any professional level.

Since Statcast™ was introduced in 2015, no pitcher has hit a home run farther than Gray's 467-footer. Additionally, it was the longest home run hit by the Rockies -- and the longest home run hit at Coors Field -- this season.

The game-time temperature of 97 degrees was the highest for a Rockies home game since June 25, 2012, against the

Nationals.

AFTER REVIEW

Rockies lefty Jake McGee's pickoff to first left Jose Peraza, who had singled, with no choice but to try for second. 5

Reynolds' throw and Valaika's tag were ruled in time by second base umpire Todd Tichenor, and because replays were inconclusive, the call stood.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: Rookie Sal Romano will be recalled from Triple-A Louisville to make his second big league start in the 3:10 p.m.

ET series finale on Thursday. Romano made his debut on April 16 vs. the Brewers but struggled with command while throwing 82 pitches in three innings. He is coming off an eight-inning complete game for Louisville during his previous start.

Rockies: Tyler Chatwood will take his turn in the rotation as the Rockies close out this four-game set at 1:10 p.m. MT.

The right-hander has struggled with his control over his last three starts, walking 15 batters in 15 2/3 total innings.

6

Statcast of the Day: Gray's 467-foot homer Young pitcher hits longest HR by a Rockies player in 2017

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 2:14 AM ET

DENVER -- Rockies right-hander Jon Gray's Sammy Sosa-esque hop out of the batter's box to punctuate his 467-foot home run off Reds starter Scott Feldman in the second inning of Wednesday's 5-3 victory made it seem as if he does this stuff all the time.

But Statcast™ data and Gray's history suggest the feat and the distance were quite rare.

"I didn't really realize I did it," Gray said. "I was just trying to figure out what was going on at the time."

Gray's two-run shot off Feldman's 90.4-mph fastball, which gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead, was the longest by a pitcher since Statcast™ began projecting home run distances in 2015, and the longest by a Rockies player this year.

"I don't understand what that was about, but it felt natural," Gray said. "I hadn't felt like that at the plate in a long time."

Having missed 11 weeks with a navicular stress fracture in his left foot, Gray had eight hitless Major League at-bats coming into Wednesday's game. He did not homer in 66 Minor league at-bats and didn't have an at-bat at the University of Oklahoma in 2012 and 2013. His last homer was in 2011, when he was a two-way player for half of the fall schedule of his freshman season at Eastern Oklahoma State College, a two-year school.

"I was kind of amazed, too," Gray said. "I was thinking, 'Touch every base. Don't do something stupid. Get inside and go get the next three guys out.'"

In addition to topping pitchers since 2015 and all Rockies players this year, Statcast™ charted the shot to dead center field as:

• The longest first homer for any player since Statcast™ began its projections.

• The 15th-longest by any player this season.

7

• At a 104.9-mph exit velocity (with a 26-degree launch angle), Gray's homer was the fourth hardest-hit home run and

22nd hardest-hit ball off Feldman this season. In fact, Feldman's average exit velocity-against of 83.8 mph is the lowest of any MLB pitcher this season.

"He hit it pretty far," Feldman said. "You never want to give up hits, period, to pitchers. I feel like you should get the pitcher out every time. To pretty much lose the game on that, it's not a good feeling. At the same time, I threw the ball right down the middle. You can't really do that."

Gray's homer distance surpassed the 446-footer by the Giants' Jeff Samardzija on June 16, which came off the

Rockies' Antonio Senzatela at Coors Field.

"Did Jon pass that?" Rockies manager Bud Black asked during his postgame press conference. "All right. Great."

The ball bounced off the bleachers and down a tunnel leading to the pond that supports the home run fountain. Mike

Pontarelli, the Rockies' home clubhouse manager, tried to fish it out, but the water is full of batting-practice balls and not- so-special game home run balls.

"They brought two balls by the , but they were so waterlogged that they must've weighed about 5 pounds," said reliever Jake McGee, who figured a ball that had taken so much water had been there awhile.

Gray said, "It's gone forever."

Actually, with the video and Statcast™ data, Gray's homer will live.

8

Utility man Valaika plays key role in win

By Max Gelman / MLB.com | 2:35 AM ET

DENVER -- On Wednesday, Pat Valaika started for just the 18th time in the Rockies' 87th game, but he made the most of the rare opportunity.

Valaika, 24, notched a career-high three hits in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Reds, including a two-run homer that proved to be the decisive runs and an insurance RBI in the eighth. Valaika has filled roles ranging from defensive replacement to designated hitter in American League parks, and he said he's more than happy to be that type of player.

"I don't want to be unrealistic; I'm not gonna start over Nolan Arenado," Valaika said. "I understand what role I'm in and try to do the best at that, be it pinch-hitting, defensive replacement, whatever they ask of me."

Valaika's crucial RBIs came with the Rockies scuffling at the plate. Those struggles were overshadowed Wednesday, as aside from Valaika's three knocks and Jon Gray's first career home run, the Rockies managed only two singles, by Charlie Blackmon and Mark Reynolds.

Regular starting shortstop Trevor Story is also mired in an extended slump. His pinch-hit Wednesday sunk him to seven hits in his last 46 at-bats, with 21 whiffs. But manager Bud Black said getting caught up in the "what-ifs" isn't helpful for anyone.

"Had Story started, who knows what he would've done," Black said. "But Pat had a good game. I've been saying it all year, I'm a Valaika fan."

Valaika credited his preparation for facing Reds starter Scott Feldman for his big night, saying with Feldman's sinker, he was able to focus on going the opposite way in batting practice.

Black has already announced that Valaika will be in the lineup for Thursday's finale. Though it may prove beneficial for

Valaika personally to get in a string of consecutive starts, Valaika says he's still going to take it one day at a time.

"It's nice to get in a groove, but baseball's a game of failure," Valaika said. "Just because I got three hits today doesn't mean I'll get three hits tomorrow. It's more of a day-by-day thing."

9

Hamilton, Tapia have Sprint Speed in common Statcast reveals top gear for Reds center fielder, Rockies prospect

By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com | July 5th, 2017

DENVER -- Billy Hamilton keeps it simple when talking about the skill that defines his career.

"If you're fast, you're fast," Hamilton said. "If you're not, you're not."

But when presented for the first time with the Statcast™ Sprint Speed leaderboard, the fastest man in baseball said that breaking down a player's speed to feet per second in their fastest one-second window is "pretty cool."

"I've never really dealt with time, never really cared about it," said Hamilton, who tops the leaderboard at 30.1 feet per second. "The way you explained it, it sounds pretty good. Never [had it broken down like that before]."

The average sprint speed on a "max effort" run is 27 feet per second, and max-effort runs range in resulting sprint speed from roughly 23 feet per second to 30 feet per second, which is Hamilton territory. A player must have 10 qualifying max- effort runs to make the leaderboard.

As Hamilton and the Reds take on the Rockies in a four-game series in Colorado that concludes on Thursday, there is a rookie in the other clubhouse who is fourth on the leaderboard, at 29.7 feet per second: Raimel Tapia, Colorado's No. 3 prospect per MLBPipeline.com, and the No. 76 prospect overall.

Tapia's sprint speed was on display in Monday night's 5-3 win over Cincinnati, when he led off the second inning with a triple inside the bag at first base. As the ball shot down the right-field line, he went from home to third in 10.94 seconds -- the third-fastest triple tracked by Statcast™ this season. Hamilton has the fastest triple this season, at 10.58 seconds, and the Twins' -- who is second on the Sprint Speed Leaderboard at 30.0 feet per second -- was second among triple speeds at 10.73 seconds.

The Sprint Speed Leaderboard has enabled Tapia, a prospect who has appeared in 54 career MLB games and plays in a relatively small market, to gain recognition for a skill that had been difficult to measure before the introduction of

Statcast™. While he can hit the occasional homer -- as he did for the first time at Coors Field on Monday -- Tapia's speed is his calling card.

10

"These lists are kind of a way for you to become, for lack of a better term, more famous as a player, because your name is out there," Tapia said through an interpreter. "And it's exciting, because if you're running fast and you're on this list, you're also helping your team win.

"Same thing with the defense, too. If you're accomplishing certain things on the defensive side, and you're getting your name out there, you're accomplishing something not just for yourself, but for your team."

Tapia put that perspective into practice in Tuesday, when he robbed Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez of a hit to left field by making a four-star diving grab that had a 35 percent catch probability per Statcast™.

As he gets more and more opportunities to showcase the abilities that made him a top prospect in the Rockies organization, Tapia said the Sprint Speed Leaderboard definitely matters to him.

"It means a lot to be able to be compared with a player that I know is a really great player, and really fast," Tapia said of

Hamilton. "It makes me want to keep working harder so I can be first on the list, to keep myself in that section with those players."

Hamilton has certainly taken notice of Tapia, though he's not surprised at what he's been seeing from the 23-year-old lately.

"I've been watching him for a while, not just this series," Hamilton said. "I watched him in Spring Training a lot, and he's one of those guys that's gonna be great. I love watching him play. He does things I like to see."

11

Coach still believes in slumping Ottavino, Dunn Longtime pitcher Holmes understands up, downs of relief work

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | July 5th, 2017

DENVER -- Rockies bullpen coach Darren Holmes can identify with the slumps, and the boos, affecting two key relief pitchers, righty Adam Ottavino and lefty Mike Dunn. And Holmes knows the other side is reachable.

Ottavino and Dunn were heavy contributors to the Rockies' strong start. But Ottavino went into Wednesday night's game against the Reds with a 15.75 ERA and a 1.255 OPS-against in his last 10 games, with 11 hits, eight walks and five homers. Dunn had a 1.17 ERA when he went to the disabled list with back spasms in late April, and has a 7.32 ERA in 26 appearances since. Both were used with the Rockies well behind during Tuesday's 8-1 loss to the Reds.

Holmes lived through rough times in 1998. After good seasons as a primary with the Rockies, Holmes signed with the Yankees to work in middle relief and struggled.

"I started out horrible," Holmes said. "You feel the fans. You feel it yourself, because you're a professional athlete. They have a lot of trust in you. When you're not doing the job, that puts a lot of stress and added pressure on you because you care about the game and you care about your team and about the fans."

But on May 13, 1998, he entered a wild game against the Rangers with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and the score tied at 13. Holmes escaped that jam, and a week later at home against the Rangers he got key outs from Will

Clark and Juan Gonzalez in an 8-6 victory, and "left to a standing ovation."

From July 2 to season's end, he posted a 1.48 ERA in 15 games, covering 24 1/3 innings.

"I've been there 50 times in my career," Holmes said. "The great thing about it is these guys have been great pitchers their whole careers. Great pitchers just don't become bad pitchers. You go through funks. You go through the ups and downs. A lot of times, it's just one game -- it can be one hitter -- that completely changes everything."

Worth noting

• First baseman Mark Reynolds was on a season-worst 0-for-18 run before squeezing out two hits Tuesday. One issue:

Manager Bud Black has not been able to give him a day off from the starting lineup. Wednesday marked his 11th straight start, a run that would have been broken had , the team's other first baseman, not suffered a calf injury 12

Sunday. , scheduled to return Friday from a right quadriceps injury if his Triple-A rehab assignment goes well, could play some first base during the weekend series against the White Sox.

• All-Star DJ LeMahieu was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of soreness in his right groin, an injury that cost him time last week. He was available to pinch-hit Wednesday, and a start Thursday afternoon was possible.

"It doesn't feel as good as I wished it would at this point, but at the same time, it's good enough to play and help the team win," LeMahieu said.

• Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon, who is seeded sixth in Monday night's 2017 T-Mobile , practiced before Wednesday's game, with Holmes (who will accompany him to Miami) throwing. He received advice from hitting coach Duane Espy, as well as a scouting report on Marlins Park from bench coach Mike Redmond. As a former

Marlins manager, Redmond can give advice on park dimensions and directions in which to hit balls.

13

Jon Gray’s monster homer, stout bullpen lead Rockies to win over Reds It was the first home run of Gray’s professional career

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | July 5th, 2017

Jon Gray‘s jaw-dropping, tape-measure home run will make the highlight reels, for good reason. It’s not often a pitcher morphs into slugger, a la or .

But the guts of the Rockies’ 5-3 victory over Cincinnati on a sizzling Wednesday night at Coors Field was the ability of the relievers to preserve a much-needed victory, and the supporting role played by utility man Pat Valaika, who knocked out a career-high three hits and drove in three runs.

The first-pitch temperature was 97 degrees, the hottest game since the Coors Field thermometer hit 100 on June 25, 2012 vs. Washington. Hot air or no hot air, Gray’s second-inning, two-run homer was a monster, soaring 467 feet, the longest by any Rockies player this season.

“I felt really good,” Gray deadpanned.

Losers of 11 of their last 13 games coming in, Colorado’s spirits couldn’t afford another bullpen soap opera. Scott

Oberg, Chris Rusin, Jake McGee and closer Greg Holland shut down the Reds for 3⅓ innings.

In the ninth, Holland gave up a two-out single to Zack Cozart and pitched carefully to the dangerous Joey Votto, resulting in a walk. But Holland slammed the door by flagging down Scooter Gennett’s smash back to the mound and throwing

Gennett out. Holland recorded his 28th save.

“We picked each other up tonight, and that’s key,” said Rusin, whose 2.36 ERA illustrates his dependability this season.

“That was good to see in a tight game like tonight’s. Sometimes a game like this can spark you into a run, get you hot.

That would be nice as we head into the all-star break.”

Valaika’s two-out, RBI single to score Carlos Gonzalez in the eighth loosened the Rockies’ tight collars just a bit.

Gray, whose Twitter handle is Mr.GrayWolf22, arrived just a few days ahead of July’s full moon. The Rockies, by the way, have begun unleashing a wolf howl over the public address system when Gray strikes out a batter.

And although Gray picked up his second win since returning from a foot injury, it has the moon shot that will be remembered.

14

The home run left Gray’s bat like a rocket. Cincinnati starting pitcher Scott Feldman immediately knew it was gone. Billy

Hamilton, playing a shallow center field, turned and gave chase, but only for a moment or two.

The ball bounced off the seats and into the pond beyond the center-field fence. Despite the best efforts of Mike “Tiny”

Pontarelli, the manager of the Rockies clubhouse, Gray’s home run ball was never recovered.

“A found a lot of practice balls in there,” Pontarelli said. “I never found Jon’s. It was kind of like looking for a golf ball in pond by the green.”

Gray even added a little home run hop at the plate after making contact on Feldman’s 1-0, 90.4 mph fastball. Then he did a home run trot worthy of a real slugger.

“I guess that’s just something from back in high school,” Gray said with a grin.

It was the first home run of Gray’s professional career. Indeed, he didn’t even hit a home run during his two years at

Oklahoma. He said his last home run came in the fall of 2011 when he was playing for Eastern Oklahoma State.

“I was a two-way player for half a year, then quit after hitting like a buck-70,” he said.

The homer was not only the longest by a Rockies player this season, it’s the longest hit by a major-league pitcher since

Statcast began tracking homers in 2015.

Valaika, starting at shortstop in front of Trevor Story, hit a two-run homer to right field off Feldman in the fourth to bump

Colorado’s lead to 4-1. Valaika’s homer, his sixth, scored Mark Reynolds, who led off with a single. Valaika’s productive night means he’ll be in the lineup again Thursday afternoon.

“Pat had a good game, and I’ve been saying all year that I’m a Valaika fan,” manager Bud Black said. “I’ll give you a heads up. He’s in there tomorrow.”

The Reds cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth on three consecutive singles off Gray. Gray kept the game in control by striking out Scott Schebler and Jose Peraza before giving up another single to Tucker Barnhart to load the bases. Oberg entered the game and got what he was seeking — an infield chopper to four-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Problem was, Arenado muffed the play and Gennett scored. It was only the third error committed by Arenado this season.

15

Arenado redeemed himself in the seventh, snagging Eugenio Suarez’s grounder down the line, stepping on third for the

forceout and making a strong throw to complete the double play and snuff out the Reds’ rally.

Gray, working slowly and deliberately, was solid, but certainly not ace-like. Over 5⅔ innings, the Reds tagged him for

eight hits and two earned runs. He whiffed five and walked one.

“I thought, overall, he threw the ball fine,” Black said.

Gray, however, was not pleased with his outing.

“I didn’t feel very good at all. It was not a good night on the hill,” he said. “My fastball was cutting, fading away. The slider

wasn’t sharp. But we did the best we could to move locations, going up and in and down and away. I think that helped.”

Postgame Notes of Note

• Despite their recent slump, the Rockies recorded their 50th win in their 87th game of the season. That’s the fewest games

to reach 50 wins in franchise history. (The previous mark was game No. 91 in 1995 and 2010).

• Jon Gray became the second Rockies pitcher to hit a home run this season. The other was rookie by Kyle Freeland on

May 21 at Cincinnati.

• Rockies pitchers are now batting .165 (27-for-164), the highest team batting average by pitchers in the .

• Pat Valaika made his first start at Coors Field since May 14 vs. the . He when he went 2-for-4

with two home runs and a career-high four RBIs in the game.

• The Reds dropped to 13-28 on the road and have lost 16

of their last 19 road game

• Joey Votto went 2-for-3 with two walks and his first triple of the season. Since June 1, the all-star first baseman is batting

.368 with a .453 on-base percentage.

16

Gerardo Parra’s return will give Rockies pop at the plate and insurance at first base Parra has been on the disabled list since June 7 because of a strained right quadriceps

By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | July 5th, 2017

The Rockies are missing Gerardo Parra, not only for the offense he provides, but for his positional versatility as well.

The calf injury that put Ian Desmond on the 10-day disabled list Monday leaves the Rockies thin at first base behind starter Mark Reynolds. Rookie Pat Valaika is currently next in line, but Parra will become the primary backup when he returns from his Triple-A rehab assignment.

“The thing with ‘Dezi’ that was sort of a blow was that Reynolds was mired in a little bit of a funk and it would have been nice to give Desmond time at first and keep giving (Raimel) Tapia time in the outfield,” manager Bud Black said

Wednesday. “Hopefully, the two hits Mark had (Tuesday) will give him a little bit of momentum going forward. But it will be great to have Parra back. He’s one of our best players.”

Parra, who went 0-for-2 Tuesday night for Triple-A Albuquerque, anticipates rejoining the Rockies on Friday in time for a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox. Parra has been on the disabled list since June 7 because of a strained right quadriceps.

“He plays a game that all of us sort of like,” Black said. “He sprays the ball all over the field. He can hit the ball in the gap and he can homer. He runs the bases hard and he can make a play in the outfield.

“Plus, he’s got a personality to him — prior to the game and in the dugout. His is a nice teammate-type of personality.”

Parra was hitting .318 with six home runs, six doubles, 28 RBIs and a .348 on-base percentage at the time of his injury.

Home run Charlie. Charlie Blackmon on Wednesday took batting practice before the team’s batting practice, trying to loft pitches from bullpen coach Darren Holmes over the Coors Field fence. Holmes will pitch to Blackmon in the home run derby on Monday in Miami as part of the All-Star Game festivities. It was good practice for both of them.

Blackmon also listened to advice from Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond, a former player and manager in Miami who is familiar with Marlins Park. He had some specific hints to help Blackmon in the home run derby.

“He said yank it down the line because the rest of the park is huge,” Blackmon said. “It’s true.”

17

Blackmon will match up against Los Angeles Dodgers rookie in the first round of the derby.

Black on Freeland. The day after left-hander Kyle Freeland got blitzed by Cincinnati, giving up five runs on eight hits over 5 ⅓ innings, Black had more to say about the rookie’s struggles.

The Reds’ Billy Hamilton hit a low pitch for a two-run single in the second inning and Freeland let it get to him. That can’t happen, Black said.

“Every game is a learning experience,” Black said. “Billy Hamiton’s hit in the second inning — that slider that was sort of down around his shoe tops and he somehow dug it out and lifted into left field — you have to learn that those things happen. You have to keep going, and not be frustrated by those things, because they are going to happen.”

Black continued: “The next pitch is the most important one. I think Kyle knows that.”

Footnotes. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu continues to be slowed by a strained right groin and was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game Wednesday night. He said he’s slowly getting better, but he’s not at full speed right now. “It doesn’t feel as good as I wish, but I can still do some things to help our team win,” he said. … Ryan

McMahon was named the player of the month Wednesday. In his first month at Triple-A

Albuquerque, he led the PCL with 50 hits, including 21 extra-base hits.

Looking ahead

Reds RHP Sal Romano (0-1, 6.00 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (6-9, 4.41), 1:10 p.m. Thursday, MLB; 850

AM

Chatwood certainly has not pitched as the Rockies had hoped he would, especially considering he’s the veteran of their rotation. Manager Bud Black loves that Chatwood has such great movement on his fastball and breaking pitches. The problem has been Chatwood’s inability to harness his stuff in a consistent manner. He took the loss at Arizona on

Saturday when he allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits over 6 ⅓ innings. Chatwood is 2-4 with a 6.39 ERA at

Coors Field this season. Romano, 23, is making just his second big-league appearance, the last one coming in April 2016.

He’s ranked as the eight-best prospect in the Reds organization.

Friday: White Sox LHP (5-4, 4.41) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (5-8, 4.52), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Saturday: White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (4-8, 4.45) at Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (5-1, 4.01), 7:10 p.m., ROOT

Sunday: White Sox Carlos Rodon (1-1, 1.59) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (8-7, 4.09), 1:10 p.m. 18

Jon Gray powers the to a 5-3 win over the Jon Gray showed off his power on the mound and at the plate in the Rockies’ 50th win of the season.

By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | July 5th, 2017

The Colorado Rockies got back in the win column on Wednesday night behind a strong all-around performance from starting pitcher Jon Gray and a three-hit game from Pat Valaika, defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3.

Gray got the scoring started with a monster home run in the second inning. The two-run blast left Gray’s bat at 105 mph and landed 467 feet from home plate. It was the longest home run by a pitcher in the Statcast era and the longest home run by any Rockies hitter so far in 2017.

That held until the fourth inning when Gray ran into some trouble on the mound. Joey Votto led off the inning with a triple on a ball that was hit hard, but also misplayed by left fielder Raimel Tapia, and came around to score on Scooter

Gennett’s RBI single. That was all the Reds got, and the Rockies held onto a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the home team got the run back and more. Pat Valaika hit his sixth home run of the season after Mark Reynolds singled to put the Rockies up by three, in spite of Gray’s strikeout to end the inning.

Three straight weakly hit singles from Votto, Gennett, and Eugenio Suarez got another run back for Cincinnati in the sixth. After Gray was replaced by Scott Oberg with two outs and the bases loaded, an uncharacteristic error by Nolan

Arenado allowed another run to come home and make it 4-3.

In Gray’s second start since returning from the disabled list, he allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in

2 5 ⁄3 innings. He walked only one and struck out five, giving him a 15-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio since coming back from a broken foot in April.

Gray’s counterpart Scott Feldman allowed four runs (all earned) on five hits in his five innings of work with a walk and six strikeouts. Aside from two bad pitches to Gray and Valaika, Feldman largely shut down an offense that has been quiet for a significant portion of the season.

For the last three innings, it was more or less up to the bullpen to hold the lead. Oberg and Chris Rusin allowed a pair of baserunners but kept the Reds off the board in the seventh, while Jake McGee threw a scoreless eighth. Before

19

closer Greg Holland came on for the ninth, the Rockies tacked on an insurance run when Carlos Gonzalez came around to score on Valaika’s RBI single after being hit by a pitch and moving to second when Reynolds walked.

Holland came on for the ninth and, after retiring the first two hitters he faced, made things very interesting. A base hit by Zack Cozart and a walk to Votto brought Gennett to the plate representing the go-ahead run. Not one to be rattled,

Holland got Gennett to hit a comebacker to wrap up a 5-3 victory.

With the win, the Rockies improved to 50-37 on the season, while the Reds dropped to 36-48. The finale of this four-game series is set for tomorrow afternoon. Tyler Chatwood will be on the hill for the Rockies against Sal Romano of the Reds.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 pm mountain time.

20

Colorado Rockies morning after: The big and historic 5-0 is reached

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 5th, 2017

Granted, it’s been a tough stretch in recent days for the Colorado Rockies. Let’s be honest, we’re now working on Day 18 since the team provided its fans with taco’s (yes, that’s the correct spelling, right Rockies Twitter?). That’s how tough it’s been lately.

However, lost in all of the grit and grime of the past few games, one number stands out after Colorado’s 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Coors Field. That number is 50.

Colorado secured its 50th win of the season with Wednesday’s victory. It marks the fastest the Rockies have ever reached

50 wins. Ever. In franchise history. The Blake Street Bombers never did it. Neither did the Rocktober crew of 2007. In its

87thgame, the 2017 Rockies can write themselves in the record books, reaching 50 wins faster than their 2010 and 1995 counterparts.

That’s a big statistic to consider. Yes, the recent rash of games has been tough but Colorado currently sits in a position that plenty of teams would gladly trade with them to get.

What did it take to get win number 50? Jon Gray blasting a 467-foot home run. Pat Valaika logging a career-high three hits, including a home run and single that produced a much-needed insurance run in the eighth. A bullpen holding

Cincinnati scoreless after the last three innings, including a dicey ninth that saw Greg Holland record the last out after a hard comebacker to the mound.

Exhale, Rockies fans.

Colorado has four more games left before the All-Star break, including Thursday’s matinee against the Reds and a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox. Four more wins would look good on Colorado’s resume before four of its players head to Miami for the All-Star Game.

After all, 54 looks a lot better than 50, especially when you’re chasing two other teams in the division and a spot in the postseason.

Tyler Chatwood will get the start for the Rockies on Thursday afternoon. In seven home starts this season, Chatwood has a 6.39 ERA. Opponents are hitting .294 against him at Coors Field.

21

The road to 54 begins with the quest for 51 … and the quest for 51 will begin with Chatwood’s ability to keep the Reds off the scoreboard early and allow the Rockies to grab some quick momentum on what will be a very warm day in Denver.

If past history is any indicator, it won’t be easy. However, nothing is easy when your team is struggling, including finally putting away Cincinnati for the 50th win of the season.

22

Colorado Rockies injury news: DJ LeMahieu ‘playable’ if needed

By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | July 5th, 2017

DJ LeMahieu was not in the Colorado Rockies lineup on Wednesday night when they prepared to take on the Cincinnati

Reds at Coors Field.

LeMahieu, one of four Rockies selected to play in Major League Baseball’s upcoming All-Star Game in Miami, suffered a right groin cramp running to first base in San Francisco on Tuesday. He sat out Wednesday’s game against the Giants and the first two games of the following series against the .

When he returned on Sunday in Arizona, LeMahieu went 2-for-5 at the plate. He followed that with a 3-for-4 performance on Monday when the Rockies opened a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field.

However, LeMahieu was not in the lineup on Tuesday or Wednesday. After watching LeMahieu move gingerly in his two- game return, it wasn’t a complete surprise to see him taking some time off.

Colorado manager Bud Black said LeMahieu could be available if needed for pinch-hitting duties on Wednesday night.

“He’s playable,” Bud Black said. “I guess that’s how I would categorize it. We felt from the coaching staff, medical staff and DJ that it was probably best for him to not start tonight’s game but be ready. Hopefully he gets a little bit better as we move on through this weekend.”

Over his last 10 games, LeMahieu is hitting .375. After starting the year hitting just .171 through his first 10 games, the 28- year-old second baseman has raised his season average to .309 with three homers and 38 RBI.

Colorado could use LeMahieu’s bat in the lineup as the Rockies are currently mired in an offensive funk that has seen the team total just 11 runs in its four July games.

Alexi Amarista will once again fill in at second base for LeMahieu while his traditional spot at second in the lineup will be filled by Raimel Tapia, who once again gets the start in left field with Gerardo Parra and Ian Desmond on the disabled list.

23

Chronicling the struggles of Adam Ottavino since his injury

By Noah Yingling / Rox Pile | July 5th, 2017

Adam Ottavino was placed on the disabled list on May 30 with right shoulder inflammation. He returned on June 9 and since, his appearances have left something to be desired.

Adam Ottavino, since returning from the disabled list nearly a month ago, has struggled mightily and his performance is part of the reason why the Rockies have lost 11 of their last 13. In addition, it’s part of the reason why the Rockies may be looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline.

April

Ottavino started off the 2017 season performing well as in the month of April as in 12 games, he pitched 12 2/3 innings and only allowed eight hits, two runs (a 1.42 ERA), five walks, and 15 strikeouts. His opponent’s slash line was a very low

.182/.260/.273. His peripheral numbers were also very good as his BABIP (or his opponent’s Batting Average on Balls in

Play) was .241 and he threw 59% strikes. He also threw 221 pitches in April.

May

In May, his numbers deteriorated a bit as in May, he pitched in 11 games and 8 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits, four runs, an alarming 10 walks, nine strikeouts, and his ERA in the month was 4.32 (raising his season ERA to 2.57). His opponent’s slash line in the month was .233/.439/.233 (the middle number (on base percentage) is much higher than the other because the 10 walks). Ottavino’s peripheral numbers paint a picture that was deteriorating too as his BABIP was

.333, he needed 171 pitches for the 8 1/3 innings and his strike percentage dropped to 54%. His month ended with the aforementioned trip to the disabled list.

June/July

Ottavino returned from the DL on June 9th and his numbers since have been atrocious. In 11 games since returning, he has pitched in nine innings and allowed 14 runs, 11 hits, 8 walks (compared to 15 strikeouts), and an ERA of 14.00 (which raised his season ERA all the way to 6.00. His opponent’s slash line has been .289/.438/.737. His BABIP is .333 and he has thrown 212 pitches in those nine innings of work. He has also thrown 54% strikes but only 31% are on pitches that 24

were swung on and missed or looked at. This means that the other 23% is on foul balls or hits. Particularly, in his last six appearances, only one was scoreless and two of the six had Ottavino giving up three or more runs (June 25 vs. the

Dodgers in a 12-6 loss and yesterday vs. the Reds in a 8-1 loss).

Final Thoughts

Since Ottavino has struggled since his return from the DL, one might wonder whether or not he is fully healthy. He had elbow surgery that delayed the start to his 2016 season until July 5th, 2016 and he pitched well for the rest of the year

(2.67 ERA in 27 innings) and started out the season performing well. If he is on the disabled list for an extended period of time, that will almost certainly force the Rockies hand in acquiring at least one reliever for their playoff run.

25

Jon Gray delivers on both sides, Rockies bullpen nails down win

By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | July 5th, 2017

On a night when Jon Gray hit a two-run home run and left the game in the position to pick up his second win of the season, the Colorado Rockies bullpen was the story. Gray’s 467-foot home run was the longest of the season by any

Rockies player, but it was the bullpen that came up biggest, overcoming a costly Rockies error and being outhit 11 to 6 to earn a 5-3 victory at Coors Field on Wednesday.

Gray’s home run in the second inning spotted him an early lead against Reds starter Scott Feldman (7-7, 3.94 ERA).

Cincinnati pecked away with a run in the fourth, which Pat Valakia answered with a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning. Valaika would deliver a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning to give closer Greg Holland some breathing room. It was the first hit the Rockies had mustered since Valaika’s home run in the fourth.

Gray (2-0, 3.75) gave the bullpen just about the slimmest lead he could – up two runs with the bases full of Reds and two out in the sixth inning. Scott Oberg coaxed the pinch-hitting Adam Duvall to hit a chopper to four-time Gold Glove third baseman, Nolan Arenado who bobbled the ball and could not get an out. A Billy Hamilton groundout closed the book on

Gray for the night, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk. Gray struck out five.

Chris Rusin worked out of a big jam in the seventh, stranding Zack Cozartand Joey Votto, who reached via a leadoff double followed by a walk. After Rusin struck out Scooter Gennett, Arenado made up for his gaffe in the sixth by turning a difficult 5-3 double play to end the inning. Jake McGeegot a pair of strikeouts and picked off Jose Peraza, after allowing him a single, to get through the eighth inning unscathed.

Greg Holland got a strikeout of Arismendy Alcantara to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but Ryan Hanigan could not contain the pitch off the plate and Alcantara reached on a dropped third strike. Trevor Story pulled a rabbit out of his hat to double up the speedy Billy Hamilton on a 6-3 double play. It was only the fourth time this season Hamilton had grounded into a double-play.

Holland wouldn’t make it easy on himself, though. All-Star shortstop Zack Cozart singled to extend the ninth and bring the

Joey Votto walked to put the tying run on. Gennett, who was 6-for-9 in the series coming into the at-bat, battled but ultimately grounded out to Holland to end it. The save was Holland’s 28th of the year, which leads baseball.

26

After defeating the Reds on Monday and falling on Tuesday, Colorado enters the four-game series finale with a chance to pick up their first series win since June 18. Sal Romano (0-1, 6.00) will pitch for Cincinnati trying to square the series. Tyler Chatwood (6-9, 4.41), who started the June 18 win, will go for Colorado.

27

Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds cares about October, not Miami

By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | July 5th, 2017

Colorado Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds has been one of the more interesting stories in baseball this season.

Before the season, Reynolds inked a one-year minor league contract to stay with the Rockies, a move that later on would prove to be valuable for both sides.

Reynolds has been one of the biggest bargains in baseball this season. With a batting average of .285 and 61 RBIs, he has been a catalyst for the Rockies offense for a majority of the season.

Despite his All-Star-worthy performance this season, Reynolds was not deemed worthy of an All-Star bid by the fans. Well, at least not in the initial round of voting.

Reynolds can still make the team through the MLB Final Vote, a system baseball has integrated to give borderline All-

Stars the chance to be voted into the Midsummer Classic via web and text. Reynolds is one of five finalists vying for the final spot on the National League roster in Miami.

Making the All-Star game is certainly an accomplishment for any player, but for Reynolds, winning is all that is on his mind.

“It’s an honor to be considered, but the most important thing is our team’s in a good spot,” Reynolds said. “We’re winning games, and I just want to put my focus on getting to October rather than getting to Miami.”

The Rockies are currently 12 games above .500 with a record of 49-37, with Reynolds serving as a driving force in the team’s newfound success in the 2017 season. Although Colorado has hit a slump in recent time, Reynolds continues to sit in the top-10 on the NL leaderboards for both home runs and RBIs.

“How fortunate and blessed I’ve been,” Reynolds said of what he’s thought throughout this season. “Not only to get some playing time but to be able to produce. To get the confidence of the coaches to throw me in there every day. No one wants to sit on the bench which something that I signed here to do, but fortunately I was able to take advantage of the opportunities and go out and play solid ball.”

28

Reynolds had options of where he wanted to play ball in 2017, but he ultimately chose to re-up with Colorado because he knew how much potential the Rockies had.

“I saw something special in this team last year, and I wanted to come back and be a part of it this year,” Reynolds said.

“Originally it was going to be a lesser role, but still, I felt like I could help this team.”

Reynolds currently ranks fourth in the NL in Final Vote voting, according to MLB.com. He was a candidate in the 2009

Final Vote but ended up losing to Shane Victorino.

29

Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado dissect the third baseman’s latest and greatest gems

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | July 5th, 2017

DENVER – On a hot Monday night with the Colorado Rockies on a cold streak, third baseman Nolan Arenado, just five days after BSN Denver published the Top 10 defensive plays in his career, did something we’ve never seen before.

Again.

He has reached a level where his very existence is a paradox. How can someone routinely reinvent something? Like most strange and largely unexplainable phenomena, it has to be seen to be believed.

His latest gem is not his greatest gem. “He’s made so many in his career,” says Carlos Gonzalez. “Obviously, he’s aggressive. He knew the guy was gonna bunt the whole way. I’ve seen guys like Rizzo doing the same thing on the opposite side, so yeah, it’s a great play, a great heads-up play, but he’s made some ridiculous ones that are even more impressive like the one the other day in San Fran, that’s definitely one of those crazy plays that he’s capable of.”

Charging forward on a sacrifice bunt attempt from Luis Castillo, Arenado cut all the way across the field to the first base side of the mound, threw across his body, and gunned the lead runner down at second, nearly getting a double play out of the deal.

He tells us he had no fear that Castillo might actually take a swing, which takes a level of confidence considering he would have been about six feet away and closing in such a circumstance. “Yeah. No not with him,” he says. “With some other pitchers. I thought he was gonna bunt. He’s a rookie. He’s just trying to get the job done. I just didn’t take [that he might swing]into consideration. I just thought ‘there’s no way he’s gonna pull back.'”

We asked if he’s ever gone quite that far away from his natural position to field a baseball at any point during his four-

Gold-Glove career. “No, not usually. Not like that, that’s for sure,” he responded. “I was already committed to going so that’s why I decided to go ahead and make the play. I could have still let it go and let Hoffman get it but I was charging to get the out at second base.”

He says at no point did he consider deviating from the plan and taking the safe out at first. “I knew I was going to second base 100 percent.” 30

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about that play is that it doesn’t even crack Arenado’s Top 10. Though, getting a consensus on that would be tough.

We shared our own list with CarGo and while he has much respect for the “Tarp Catch” and “The Cutoff” he has a different preference: “I like the ones going forward, The barehanded plays. Those are really hard. The one he made off of

Yadier Molina was a really tough one, too. A line drive to the left side and he didn’t have a chance to move and to still make that play … he’s just incredible at third base.”

31

Jonny On The Spot: Gray blasts Rockies past Reds

By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | July 5th, 2017

DENVER – Jon Gray earned the moniker “The Wolf of Blake Street” for a reason. He has never been afraid to pitch at

Coors Field and in just his second home game of 2017, showed just how good he can be on the mound while also contributing on offense with one of the longest home runs in all of MLB this season, powering the Rockies to a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on a hot Wednesday night in Downtown Denver.

Colorado couldn’t capitalize off of a lead-off single in the first from Charlie Blackmon and a sac bunt by Raimel Tapia. The bunt was an interesting choice given how well Tapia has hit lately and also that Blackmon was off on the play and might have had the base stolen anyway. Still, the Rockies got a runner in scoring position with one out and ended up stranding him there, a plague upon their house as of late. Carlos Gonzalez did manage to draw a walk to extend the inning and help to force Scott Feldman over 25 pitches in the inning but strikeouts from Nolan Arenado and Mark Reynolds left the scoreboard blank.

In the top of the second, Scooter Gennett reached on an error by shortstop Pat Valaikawho was filling in for Trevor Story.

Gennett also scooted (sorry) to second, swiping the bag without giving away an out and putting the Reds in a position where they could get a run without ever recording a hit. Gray dialed in, though, and showcased the swing-and-miss stuff that he has made his name on, striking out Scott Schebler on the strength of four wicked sliders. Schebler, while not a household name, is having a fantastic season and has already hurt the Rockies on several occasions this season.

It looked like the Rockies would again strand a lead-off single, this time from Valaika, in the second but with two outs Gray

— believe it or not — took a hanging slider and smashed the longest home run of any Rockie this season and the 14th longest in MLB. It traveled 467 feet and came off the bat at 105 mph. It was the longest home run by a pitcher in the last three years:

He even threw in a Sammy Sosa-like hop once he realized he had absolutely tagged the pitch. It was also Gray’s first hit this season:

Feldman got a small measure of revenge in the top of the third, slicing a single the opposite way, just inside the left-field foul line, recording the first hit against Gray in the game, though he was stranded there.

All-Star Joey Votto lined a triple off the wall in left field to start the fourth and came in on a single from Gennett that scooted (sorry) just past the glove of Arenado at third. Gray was still in a bit of a pickle after walking Eugenio Suarez still 32

with no outs to put runners at second and third. But he induced a double play ground ball from Schebler and got Jose

Peraza to pop out in foul territory to escape the inning with a lead intact.

The Rockies took that run back with interest in the bottom of the frame on a single from Mark Reynolds and a two-run home run for Valaika who — apart from the error on a relatively easy play — made a case that he can get some starts while Story figures himself out a bit.

The Reds rallied in the sixth as the wave once again broke out at Coors Field. Again, draw your own conclusions but as it rolled around, Reynolds misplayed a grounder up the first baseline from Votto that was ultimately ruled a hit but easily could have been an error. Gennett followed with a more solid single to right and Votto came in to score the Reds second run on the third straight single in the inning from Suarez. The second the fans stopped doing the wave, Gray started getting outs, striking out Schebler and Peraza. His night was done after walking Tucker Barnhart having reached 108 pitches.

His final line: 5.2, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. He threw 68 of his 108 pitches for strikes.

Scott Oberg inherited the bases loaded, two-out situation and got pinch-hitter, Adam Duvall, to hit a weak grounder to third but it was uncharacteristically booted by Arenado. His third error on the season allowed Gennett to scoot (sorry) home and make it a 4-3 game. But Oberg did not let the bad fortune get to him, bearing down and getting Billy Hamilton to ground out to preserve the lead. Bud Black would likely have preferred to see Gray finish the eighth but Oberg rewarded the faith his manager put in him.

He was, however, left in to face righty Zack Cozart to lead off the seventh and gave up a double before being replaced by Chris Rusin. Rusin walked Votto and the Reds had a pair on with nobody out again, but he bounced back in exactly the ideal fashion for a pitcher, scooting a fastball past Gennett (sorry) for a strikeout then getting Suarez to bounce into an inning-ending 5-1 double play. With his effort, Rusin lowered his season ERA to 2.35 over 46 innings pitched. He continues to be quietly, yet remarkably, reliable.

Jake McGee came on in the eighth and gave up a one-out single to Jose Peraza but also punched out Schebler and

Barnhart before picking Peraza off at first.

The Rockies managed a two-our rally of their own in the bottom of the eighth, something that has ferociously eluded them over the last two weeks. After the first two were retired, Carlos Gonzalez was hit by a pitch and Reynolds drew a walk before Valaika came through with his third hit of the game to drive in CarGo and make it 5-3, Rockies.

Greg Holland was tasked with bettering his own franchise record for saves before the All-Star break and did so despite some tense moments. He struck out Arismendy Alcantara to begin the frame but catcher Ryan Hanigan dropped the third 33

strike allowing Alcantara to reach first. Then he got some help from Story who came into the game as a pinch-hitter and stayed at short as a defensive replacement. It was a good thing, too because his strong arm was needed to gun down the speedy Hamilton to convert the double play, getting a nice dig from Reynolds at first.

Cozart got Holland for a single to right bringing Votto to the plate who was subsequently walked on five pitches.

Gennett came to the plate representing the go-ahead run but Holland fielded a comebacker with a bit of a dive to make the final out himself, securing the win and his 28th save to just one blown all year.

Colorado improved to 50-37 on the season. They are now 10-19 when committing at least one error, 40-18 when they play clean defense. They are 2-0 in games Jon Gray has pitched since returning from the DL.

34

Holland: Saving Grace

By Tracy Ringolsby / Inside the Seams | July 5th, 2017

Greg Holland not only has set a Rockies record with 28 saves before the All-Star break, but his 28-of-29 success rate in earning saves is the ninth lowest among the 30 pitchers in big-league histories to have at least 28 saves at the All-Star

Break.

Mark Melancon

Golden High alum ranks just ahead of Holland, along with former Rockies reliever Jason Grilli. Hall of

Famers Dennis Eckerlsey, and also are among the top 10.

Player Season G Sv SvOP SV%

Dennis Eckersley 1992 Oak 37 30 30 100

Jeurys Familia 2016 NYM 43 31 31 100

Eric Gagne 2003 LA 44 31 31 100

Glen Perkins 2015 Min 38 28 28 100

Mariano Rivera 2004 NYY 42 32 33 97

Joe Nathan 2013 Tex 41 30 31 96.8

Jason Grilli 2013 Pit 43 29 30 96.7

Mark Melancon 2015 Pit 44 29 30 96.7

Greg Holland 2017 Colo 34 28 29 96.6

John Smoltz 2003 Atl 44 34 36 94.4

John Smoltz | Mariano Rivera

Holland’s 1.66 ERA equals the seventh lowest among relievers who had at least 28 saves at the All-Star break. Smoltz has the lowest (0.95). Armando Benitez and Rivera also were below 1.00.

Player Season Sv SvOP ERA

John Smoltz 2003 Atl 34 36 0.95

Armando Benitez 2004 Fla 30 32 0.98

Mariano Rivera 2004 NYY 32 33 0.99

35

Chad Cordero 2005 Was 31 34 1.13

Glen Perkins 2015 Min 28 28 1.21

Joe Nathan 2013 Tex 30 31 1.36

Eric Gagne 2002 LA 32 34 1.39

Greg Holland 2017 Col 28 29 1.39

Mark Melancon 2015 Pit 29 30 1.47

Dennis Eckersley 1992 Oak 30 30 1.67

Holland missed the 2016 season after undergoing surgery, but he appears fully recovered. This is his best start ever going into the All-Star Break. Holland at the All-Star Break in his career:

Season G IP Sv SvOP ERA

2017 Colo 34 32.1 28 29 1.39

2015 KC 28 26.2 19 21 2.70

2014 KC 36 34.2 25 26 1.82

2013 KC 36 35 22 24 1.80

2012 KC 32 29.2 0 2 3.94

2011 KC 18 25 0 1 1.08

With four games remaining before the break, Holland has two more saves than in 2011, who is now No. 2 and No. 4 on the Rockies list for saves at the All-Star Break.

Player Season G Sv SvOP SV% ERA

Greg Holland 2017 34 28 29 96.6 1.39

Huston Street 2011 43 26 28 92.9 3.29

Jose Jimenez 2002 43 23 26 88.5 3.3

Huston Street 2009 42 22 23 95.7 2.75

Shawn Chacon 2004 39 20 26 76.9 6.81

Brian Fuentes 2007 40 20 26 76.9 4.06

Jose Jimenez 2003 46 19 22 86.4 6.7 36

LaTroy Hawkins 2014 35 17 18 94.4 2.45

John Axford 2015 29 16 17 94.1 2.36

Brian Fuentes 2006 35 16 19 84.2 3.89

Shawn Chacon

Holland is the sixth Rockies pitcher in the franchise’s 25 years of existence to be selected to an All-Star team. Brian

Fuentes was a three-time selection, although he only pitched one inning in 2006. Shawn Chacon was a scratch in 2003 because of an injury.

Pitcher Year IP

Greg Holland 2017 TBD

Ubaldo Jimenz 2010 2

Aaron Cook 2008 3

Brian Fuentes 2005-07 1

Shawn Chacon 2003 Injured

Mike Hampton 2001 1

37

Gray hits 467-foot HR, pitches into 6th as Rox beat Reds 5-3

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | July 5th, 2017

DENVER -- Jon Gray's power was impressive. His hop out of the batter's box and home run trot, too.

For a pitcher who'd never hit a major league homer before, he sure had the routine down.

Gray launched his drive an estimated 467 feet -- the farthest by any Rockies player this season -- and pitched effectively into the sixth inning as Colorado beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on a sweltering Wednesday night.

"I see Jon in (batting practice) and he has some strength to his swing," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "That ball was crushed."

Too bad Gray won't ever get it back as a souvenir. The ball landed in the stands and bounced into the pond behind center field, joining a bevy of from batting practice.

"It's gone. Forever," Gray lamented.

At least he has the memories -- and the accolades from teammates, who were awed by his mighty swing.

"They really didn't say much, just, `Man, that was crushed," Gray said . "I told them the same thing: `It felt good.' I tried to put a good swing on it."

Gray's two-run homer in the second was the longest among pitchers since MLB's Statcast began tracking distances in

2015. Gray even did a little skip after contact and rounded the bases at a leisurely pace.

"He may not be a good hitter but he certainly has power," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We learned that today."

Gray (2-0) also was solid on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, in his second start since a broken bone in his left foot sidelined him for two months. Greg Holland threw a shaky ninth -- by his standards -- for his

28th save to help the slumping Rockies win for the third time in 14 games.

"It wasn't a good day on the hill," Gray said of his performance. "I didn't have a feel for anything, really."

Rockies shortstop Pat Valaika would debate that.

38

"It's good to have high standards. But I think if a pitcher keeps us in the game, he had a good game," said Valaika, who had a career-high three hits, including a two-run homer and a run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth.

It was a scorching day in Denver and the game-time temperature read 97 degrees, which tied for the second-hottest home contest in Rockies history.

Scott Feldman (7-6) gave up four runs in five innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter. He regretted that pitch to Gray.

"I feel like you should get the pitcher out every time," Feldman said. "So, to pretty much lose the game on that, not a good feeling."

Cruising along, Gray ran into trouble in the sixth when he allowed three straight hits, including a run-scoring single by Eugenio Suarez. After Barnhart lined a two-out single to load the bases, reliever Scott Oberg was summoned.

Pinch-hitter Adam Duvall hit a routine grounder to Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, who bobbled the ball for his third error of the season. The mistake allowed a run to score and made it 4-3. Billy Hamilton grounded out to end the threat.

Arenado atoned in the seventh, when he stepped on third and threw to first for a double play that bailed the Rockies out of a jam.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: Catcher Devin Mesoraco was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder. ... To take Mesoraco's place, the Reds recalled RHP Ariel Hernandez from Triple-A Louisville. Hernandez pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out three.

Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu (groin) was out of the lineup for a second straight game. ... OF Gerardo Parra (strained right quad) went 0 for 2 at Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday during a rehab assignment.

THIS & THAT

The Rockies logged their 50th win in game No. 87. That's the quickest in franchise history. ... The record for hottest home game at first pitch in Rockies history was 100 degrees on June 25, 2012, against Washington. ... All-Star 1B Joey

Votto hit his first triple of the season for Cincinnati. ... Reds reliever Tony Cingrani threw an inning and gave up a run on his 28th birthday.

39

Rockies pitcher Jon Gray launches first career home run 467 feet

By Associated Press and ESPN News Services / ESPN.com | July 5th, 2017

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jon Gray's first career home run was one for the record books.

Gray drilled a 1-0 pitch from Cincinnati Reds starter Scott Feldman into the center-field seats in the bottom of the second inning at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday; the ball traveled 467 feet, marking the longest home run by a pitcher since MLB's Statcast began tracking distances in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT

The previous record belonged to righty Jeff Samardzija, who hit a 446-foot homer on June 16 of this season, also at Coors Field.

According to Statcast, Gray's two-run blast also was the longest Rockies home run of 2017.

"I see Jon in [batting practice], and he has some strength to his swing," Rockies manager Bud Black said after his team's 5-3 win. "That ball was crushed."

Jon Gray's 467-foot two-run homer off Reds starter Scott Feldman in the second inning Wednesday night was the longest by a pitcher since MLB's Statcast began tracking distances in 2015. Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Too bad Gray won't ever get it back as a souvenir. The ball landed in the stands and bounced into the pond behind center field, joining a bevy of baseballs from batting practice.

"It's gone. Forever," Gray lamented.

At least he has the memories -- and the accolades from teammates, who were awed by his mighty swing.

"They really didn't say much, just, 'Man, that was crushed,'" Gray said. "I told them the same thing: 'It felt good.' I tried to put a good swing on it."

Gray even did a little skip after contact and rounded the bases at a leisurely pace.

Gray also was solid on the mound, going 5⅔ innings and allowing three runs, two earned, in his second start since a broken bone in his left foot sidelined him for two months.

"It wasn't a good day on the hill," Gray said of his performance. "I didn't have a feel for anything, really." 40

Rockies shortstop Pat Valaika would debate that.

"It's good to have high standards. But I think if a pitcher keeps us in the game, he had a good game," Valaika said.

Entering Wednesday, Gray, 25, had seven career hits -- all of which came last season -- in 55 plate appearances.

Gray has surrendered 24 home runs in his three-year major league career; none has traveled farther than 455 feet (Ryan

Howard on Aug. 12, 2016).

The Reds have allowed two pitchers to hit home runs this season, both Rockies pitchers. Left-hander Kyle Freeland went deep at Great American Ball Park on May 21.

Feldman said he regretted that pitch to Gray.

"I feel like you should get the pitcher out every time," Feldman said. "So, to pretty much lose the game on that, not a good feeling."

41