Troy Johnston hit a two-run homer to ignite a seven-run sixth inning Monday night and the visiting Colorado Rockies defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 14-5.
Ezequiel Tovar had three hits and three RBIs and TJ Rumfield added three hits and two RBIs to help Colorado win for the first time in four games this season. Braxton Fulford added a solo homer and a run-scoring single.
Rockies reliever Chase Dollander (1-0) allowed four runs, five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over the final four innings for the win.
Davis Schneider hit a two-run homer while George Springer, Andres Gimenez and Kazuma Okamoto added solo shots in Toronto’s first loss in four games this campaign.
Colorado opened the scoring in the third when Toronto starter Cody Ponce was injured while trying to field Jake McCarthy’s grounder.
Kyle Karros led off with a walk, took second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a balk when Ponce fell while delivering a pitch.
Ponce went down in attempting to field McCarthy’s grounder to the right side of the infield as Karros scored. Ponce was helped onto a cart with what was termed right knee discomfort. Louis Varland (0-1) took over.
Ponce allowed one run, one hit and one walk with three strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings in his first major league outing since 2021 after pitching in Japan and South Korea.
Springer hit a two-out homer to left in the third against Tomoyuki Sugano, who allowed one run, two hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Colorado regained the lead in the fourth against Varland. Tovar led off with a single and stole second. He scored when second baseman Ernie Clement bobbled Jordan Beck’s two-out grounder.
The Rockies scored seven runs in the sixth to take a 9-1 lead. Rumfield singled with one out and Johnston homered to right against Spencer Miles.
After Beck walked, Brendon Little replaced Miles. Beck stole second and scored on pinch hitter Fulford’s one-out single. Pinch hitter Brenton Doyle singled, Hunter Goodman walked and Will Castro and Tovar hit two-run doubles.
Toronto backup catcher Tyler Heineman allowed four runs and six hits in the eighth and Fulford’s ninth-inning homer.
The Blue Jays scored three in the eighth on homers by Gimenez and Schneider. Okamoto went deep in the ninth.
