Rockies Slam Angels, End Eight-Game Losing Streak

Reuters

13:21 JST, June 24, 2023

Elias Diaz belted a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies ended an eight-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Denver.

Diaz, Elehuris Montero and Coco Montes each had three hits and Jurickson Profar also homered for Colorado.

Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout homered for the Angels, who lost their third straight game after winning 11 of their previous 14.

With Colorado trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Harold Castro and Ezequiel Tovar singled off Sam Bachman (1-1), putting two on with one out.

Chris Devenski took over on the mound, and Ryan McMahon reached on a fielder’s choice when shortstop Andrew Velasquez failed to catch a throw to second from first baseman Jared Walsh. Diaz then clobbered a 1-1 changeup over the fence in center for his ninth homer of the season.

Pierce Johnson (1-3) struck out Ohtani with two on and two outs to end the top of the eighth.

Justin Lawrence fanned two in a perfect ninth for his third save.

Ohtani and Trout both hit 434-foot homers to start the fifth inning off Kyle Freeland, giving the Angels a 4-2 lead.

Ohtani’s major-league-best 25th homer went to right-center, while Trout’s 16th homer was a high fly over the fence in center.

The Rockies moved within 4-3 in the sixth on Tovar’s run-scoring single.

Angels starter Patrick Sandoval allowed three runs and 10 hits over five-plus innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Freeland gave up four runs (three earned) and nine hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked two.