Rockies’ Jordan Beck flirts with cycle in victory over Twins at Coors Field

The Rockies talked a good competition before hosting the Twins Friday night at Coors Field Phrases like fresh start and new beginning were bandied about Then the Rockies went out and beat the Twins - in their first match after the All-Star break Left fielder Jordan Beck opened up the second half in spectacular fashion Beck came up a double short of becoming the th Rockies participant to hit for the cycle He had a chance to complete the feat in the eighth but was called out on strikes though two of the pitches from reliever Travis Adams were clearly out of the strike zone Beck insisted that he didn t know he was a double shy of the cycle I would have swung the bat in my last at-bat if I d have known he commented He also threw two balls that were called as strikes so that didn t help He reported no one in the dugout informed him he needed just a double to make history Sometimes you just know but that was one of those times I wasn t paying attention Beck mentioned Manager Warren Schaeffer who mentioned before the event that the group was eager to put the bad behind it after posting a - record before the All-Star break was thrilled with Beck s performance and excited to see what comes next I feel like all year he s been growing into a more consistent hitter Schaeffer explained For me the sky is the limit for Jordan Beck So it s good to see nights like this Fantastic night for him Beck hit an RBI triple off Minnesota starter Chris Paddock in Colorado s four-run first inning just past diving right fielder Willi Castro Tyler Freeman led off with a double Mickey Moniak followed with another double Beck tripled and Ryan McMahon launched a two-run homer to right his th of the season According to the Elias Sports Bureau it s the first time in franchise history that Colorado began a meeting with four consecutive extra-base hits In the second Beck blasted a two-out solo homer off Paddock getting a green light on a - pitch and launching it feet to center In the fifth Beck scratched out an infield single to third baseman Royce Lewis Beck stepped to the plate with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth but popped out to shortstop Carlos Correa in shallow center field The last Rockies member to hit for the cycle was outfielder Charlie Blackmon on Sept vs the Nationals at Coors Field Blackmon led off the competition with a triple then hit a home run single and double to become the first member in major league history to cycle in the nd challenge of the season The Rockies beat the Nationals - that day setting up a one-game playoff with the Dodgers to decide the National League West title Friday night Colorado was in complete control through six innings leading - behind lefty Kyle Freeland s strong start Minnesota s only run off Freeland was a one-out solo homer by Byron Buxton in the fifth Freeland went six innings giving up five hits walking three and striking out three All three strikeouts came in the sixth with two men on base and he was pumped up That was about polishing off a good start and I knew what was ostensibly going to be my last inning and I knew I could empty that tank right there revealed Freeland who got just his second win and paired his ERA from to That s exactly what we needed to start the second half Schaeffer explained He had good fastball command in and out Good pitch mix Good plan with catcher Austin Nola Kyle only had three punchouts but they were the last three hitters with traffic That s a gutsy performance Nice job by Free However the Twins put a scare into the Rockies in the seventh against reliever Jake Bird with Willi Castro s three-run homer Buxton started the rally with a one-out infield hit that died in the grass in front of third baseman Ryan McMahon Ryan Jeffers followed with a bloop single to shallow right off the glove of a sprinting Tyler Freeman Then Castro hit Bird s first-pitch sinker feet and into the forest beyond the center-field wall But Rockies right-handers Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen blanked the Twins over the last two innings and Halvorsen pocketed his ninth save