Rockies get a kick out of Tovar's two-homer game

ST. LOUIS -- Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar was so smooth about a major change he made to his swing in early May, hardly anyone noticed.

Tovar eliminated the high-knee leg kick -- a signature move that was clearly a favorite of still photographers. But Tovar showed on Saturday afternoon that his new swing is picturesque.

Tovar lashed two home runs, including a two-run shot that broke a tie in the seventh, and totaled four hits, as the Rockies beat the Cardinals, 6-5, at Busch Stadium.

This is not exactly new. Tovar, 22 and in his second full season, has experimented in the past with an inward turn of the toes with two strikes. He likes it enough to do it all the time. His second home run Saturday -- a two-run shot in the seventh off Andrew Kittredge during a three-run frame that decided the game -- was with two strikes.

But the approach, mechanics and swing looked like every good swing since early May.

“I’ve been doing this for awhile now,” Tovar said in Spanish, with assistant hitting coach Andy González interpreting. “I just wanted to get into that two-strike mode from the start of the at-bat. I noticed I was doing well with two strikes, and it’s been working.”

It just may be working well enough to garner All-Star Game consideration. Tovar exited Saturday hitting .294 with 10 homers and 28 RBIs. But since May 3, Tovar has slashed .324/.342/.570 with seven homers and 16 RBIs.

The new approach coincides roughly with the change.

On May 3 at Pittsburgh, Tovar used his leg kick while swatting a 1-0 pitch for a single.

On May 9 against Giants righty Keaton Winn at Coors Field, the new approach produced a triple on an 0-1 pitch.

Even with a permanent two-strike approach, he has 40 strikeouts in his last 142 at-bats. But his second homer Saturday showed that it’s much more difficult to reach Strike 3.

“It looks like the pitcher has him with a couple slow breaking balls -- swing and miss, chase,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Then he hangs in there. The first at-bat, he got the breaking ball that he lobbed into left, and then the homer. …

“It looks as though opposing pitchers are going to try to get him out soft. But Tovie’s got some length to his swing out away from him and he’s got some power. That’s not going to go away.”

Tovar’s hits led to a victory that means the Rockies (23-41), who have won half of their previous eight series, will leave Busch with at least a split.

It took some doing. Starting pitcher Ryan Feltner gave up no earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts against two hits and one walk. But errors by second baseman Alan Trejo and first baseman Elehuris Montero on potential sixth inning-ending grounders opened the way to four unearned runs and a 4-3 Cards lead.

It was a huge start for Feltner, who entered with a 6.22 ERA this season while interspersing standout work with clunkers. Fentner said catcher Jacob Stallings “guided me” so well he didn’t shake off a single pitch. After the errors, he was pleased to be backed by Tovar who “at such a young age has got a really cool career ahead of him.”

Charlie Blackmon, with three hits, doubled and scored in the top of the seventh to tie, then Tovar launched his homer. Victor Vodnik gave up a Matt Carpenter homer during his otherwise solid 1 2/3 innings, and Jalen Beeks and Tyler Kinley (fourth save of the season) added a scoreless frame apiece.

Tovar, who said the Rockies are “playing a lot better baseball lately,” isn’t sure if he will ever return to the high kick.

“There’s not a yes or a no,” Tovar said. “It just feels good right now. If it comes back, it comes back. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

As long as the Rockies continue steady improvement, they’ll get a kick out of whatever Tovar does.