Tanner Gordon’s 6 scoreless innings help Rockies beat Cardinals for their 1st shutout of the season

DENVER (AP) — Tanner Gordon pitched six scoreless innings and Ezequiel Tovar hit a home run to help the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 on Wednesday and win back-to-back series for the first time since Sept. 13-18, 2024.

Gordon (2-2) gave up four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Jimmy Herget threw two innings of one-hit relief before Tyler Kinley pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. The trio combined for Colorado’s first shutout of the season.

The Rockies hit five consecutive singles in their four-run second inning off St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (5-7) and Jordan Beck added an RBI double in the fifth to make it 5-0. Tovar’s solo shot in the eighth capped the scoring.

Germán Márquez, who was scheduled to start for Colorado, was moved to the 15-day IL earlier Wednesday due to right biceps tendinitis.

The Cardinals snapped their streak of scoring at least four runs in 11 straight games at Coors Field since Oliver Marmol became manager in 2021.

Key moment

Ryan McMahon drew a leadoff walk and, after Tovar flied out, Austin Nola, Kyle Farmer, Adael Amador, Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak hit five consecutive singles to give the Rockies a 4-0 lead in the second.

Key stat

Colorado, which was an MLB-worst 22-74 at the All-Star break, is 4-2 since their return. The Rockies have won as many series since the break (two) as they did prior to it.

Up next

Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) is set to pitch for St. Louis on Thursday against Yu Darvish (0-2, 6.08) in the first of four games against San Diego. Kyle Freeland (2-10, 5.19) takes the mound Friday for Colorado against the Baltimore Orioles, who haven’t announced a starter.

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