Hunter Goodman slugged his team-leading 26th home run while Mickey Moniak produced a multi-hit and multi-RBI game in support of right-hander Tanner Gordon, who earned his third consecutive win as the visiting Colorado Rockies topped the Houston Astros 6-1 on Tuesday.
Goodman capped a stunning four-run uprising in the top of the third inning off Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (10-6), who retired the first seven batters he faced with ease before unraveling after a double error committed by All-Star and Gold Glove shortstop Jeremy Pena.
Kyle Karros singled with one out to ignite the frame and advanced to third base when Pena dropped a toss from second baseman Mauricio Dubon after Dubon fielded a grounder from Ryan Ritter. Pena was covering second on the play and was charged with an error for dropping the throw and for allowing the ball to roll into center field, with Karros advancing to third.
Moniak followed a run-scoring groundout from Tyler Freeman with an RBI single that scored Ritter to give the Rockies the lead. Goodman then lined a 1-1 sinker into the left-field seats, a 362-foot shot that extended the margin to 4-1.
All four runs charged to Brown in the third were unearned. But the Rockies didn’t relent and, two innings later, with Karros and Ritter again providing the spark, Moniak delivered once again.
After Freeman laid down a sacrifice bunt that advanced Karros and Ritter to third and second, respectively, Moniak smacked a two-run double to center that extended the margin to five runs.
Moniak finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Karros also posted a multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort that included two runs scored. The Rockies went 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Houston finished 0-for-7.
Brown allowed six runs (two earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
Gordon (5-5) stranded a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the first and, after surrendering a 439-foot home run to Jesus Sanchez leading off the second, retired Jose Altuve with the bases loaded to close that frame. He allowed just three additional baserunners while working six innings and concluded his outing with six hits, three walks and five strikeouts on his ledger.
