Rockies crush Blue Jays with season-high 20 hits
TORONTO (AP) — Ryan Feltner pitched five innings for his first win of the season and the Colorado Rockies had 20 hits in a 12-4 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Ryan McMahon had four hits, including a career-high three doubles, helping Colorado win in Toronto for the first time after nine consecutive defeats in Canada.
“Good start to the road trip for us,” McMahon said. “Hopefully we come out and do it again tomorrow.”
The Rockies hadn’t reached 20 hits since 2022, and hadn’t accomplished the feat on the road since 2013.
“Hopefully the group can build on this one,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “This was a good one against a good pitcher.”
Making his third start of the season, struggling Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (0-2) allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. His earned run average rose from 9.53 to 11.57.
“Nothing good happened today,” Gausman said. “Just a lot of pitches, a lot of hits, a lot of doubles and a lot of runs. Not many positives.”
Gausman missed most of spring training because of a sore shoulder. He lasted 1 1/3 innings in Saturday’s loss to the Yankees, his shortest outing since May 2019.
“I don’t think he had his best command tonight,” McMahon said of Gausman. “When he’s hitting that bottom rail with those fastballs and throwing the splitter off them, he’s really tough. I thought we did a good job of not chasing it.”
McMahon hit doubles in the third, sixth and ninth innings, and had a single in the fourth. He drove in two runs and also scored twice. All four of his hits came with two strikes.
Colorado’s Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar homered, and Kris Bryant hit a two-run double.
Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers reached base four times and came within a home run of the cycle. Rogers hit an RBI double in the second, walked in the fifth, singled in the seventh and tripled in the ninth.
Catcher Elías Díaz had two hits and scored twice for Colorado. Díaz also drove in a run, extending his career-best streak of games with at least one RBI to six.
Feltner (1-1) allowed two runs and eight hits, walked two and struck out four.
“I fell behind a little bit more than I would have liked, but I was able to work through some of those situations and get out of them unscathed for the most part,” Feltner said.
Daulton Varsho and Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit solo home runs, the first of the season for each, for the Blue Jays.
The Rockies were swept in three-game series at Toronto in 2002, 2007 and 2013.
The last time the Rockies had 20 hits was Aug. 9, 2022, at home versus St. Louis. Their last 20-hit game on the road was June 5, 2013, at Cincinnati.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Daniel Bard needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season, Black said. … OF Charlie Blackmon was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight game because of illness.
UP NEXT
RHP Dakota Hudson (0-2, 2.38 ERA) is set to start for Colorado on Saturday. After Friday’s game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said RHP Yariel Rodriguez will be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo Saturday to make his big league debut as a starter. RHP Bowden Francis will move to the bullpen after two winless starts to begin the season.
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