By MATT PIKE
In a game delayed by a hailstorm, Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano allowed one run over 6.2 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 at Coors Field.
Sugano, who improved to 11-4 on the season for the Rockies, gave up five hits and matched his longest outing this season to help the Rockies end a four-game skid and win for the seventh time in his last eight starts. He left after 83 pitches with Salvador Perez on first base, and Johnny Rave greeted Antonio Senzatela with a single to put runners on the corners, but Josh Rojas flied out to left field to keep it 3-1.
Colorado opened the scoring in the first inning after Mickey Moniak had a one-out double off Royals starter Michael Wacha, who fell to 5-8 on the season taking the loss, and TJ Rumfield added a two-out single for a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, the Rockies extended the lead as Kyle Karros singled with one out, advanced on a groundout and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Michael Massey. Brenton Doyle doubled in his second at-bat following a 2 1/2-month stay on the injured list, driving in Troy Johnston to make it 3-0.
Wacha allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits in six innings while striking out seven, including a career-best five in a row. Sugano has gone 7-0 since June 1st and he is now the first 11-game winner for Colorado since Germán Márquez went 12-11 in 2021.
Sugano gave up Carter Jensen's 15th home run of the season with two outs in the sixth to cut it to 3-1. After he was relieved, Senzatela and Brennan Bernardino each got two outs and Jordan Romano pitched the ninth for his fifth save in five opportunities with Colorado. Sugano went 10-10 as a rookie last season for the Orioles and collected his first major league win on April 5th, beating Wacha and the Royals 8-1 in Kansas City.
At the plate for Kansas City, Salvador Perez was 2-for-4. Jensen was 1-for-4 with the home run and an RBI while Isaac Collins was 1-for-4 with a triple. John Rave and Lane Thomas had the other two hits for the Royals, who outhit the Rockies 6-5.
Kansas CIty and Colorado continue their series tomorrow. Luinder Avila (5-3, 4.95 ERA, 59K's) will start for the Royals opposit Ryan Feltner (3-5, 5.73 ERA, 54K's) for the Rockies. First pitch is at 7:10pm, pregame will air at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).
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