Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle had a hard time describing what had just taken place after he delivered the crowning blow in perhaps the wildest game of the major league season.
Doyle hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap Colorado’s stunning comeback from a nine-run, first-inning deficit in a 17-16 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
“Honestly, pretty speechless,” Doyle told reporters. “It’s hard to put into words. Just so proud of everyone in this clubhouse, never giving up. Man, what a win.”
Colorado won despite allowing nine runs during a first inning in which Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz hit a grand slam and Andrew McCutchen had a three-run homer.
According to Elias Sports Bureau and MLB.com, the Rockies were the first team to win after giving up nine runs in the first inning since Cleveland did it in a 15-13, 10-inning triumph over the Kansas City Royals in 2006. Cleveland trailed that game 10-1 after one inning.
Back in 1989, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pirates 15-11 after falling behind 10-2 in the first inning.
The three other occasions in which a team won a game after allowing at least nine runs in the first inning came way back in 1884, 1896 and 1913.
“Getting down nine in the first, it’s tough to come back from, but we kept the energy high,” Doyle said. “We kept the fight in us. Oh my God, what a game.”
Colorado scored one run in the bottom of the first, three in the third, two in the fourth and four in the fifth to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 15-10. The Rockies still trailed 16-10 before scoring two runs in the eighth and five in the ninth.
After Pittsburgh’s Dennis Santana started the ninth by striking out Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman’s 425-foot homer reduced the Pirates’ lead to 16-13. Santana then walked Jordan Beck and allowed an RBI triple to Warming Bernabel.
Thairo Estrada singled home Bernabel before Doyle delivered a 406-foot shot to end the game.
The events in Colorado highlighted a night full of offense across the majors. According to StatsPerform, Friday marked the first time since June 23, 1930, that three major league games on the same day had at least 25 combined runs.
The Miami Marlins erased an early 6-0 deficit and scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the New York Yankees 13-12. The Milwaukee Brewers had 25 hits while trouncing the Washington Nationals 16-9.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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