After fan interference negates walk-off HR, Rockies walk off anyway

DENVER -- Before the Rockies ended their six-game losing streak with a 2-1, 10-inning victory over the Mariners in Sunday afternoon’s doubleheader opener, they endured one more punch to their queasy collective gut.

Jacob Stallings thought he had a double at least, or even a walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After a replay review, he was called out because of fan interference.

“It was deflating,” said Ryan McMahon, who pumped wind back into the Rockies' sails with a walk-off RBI infield single to the left side of the infield off M’s closer Andrés Muñoz, after singles by Charlie Blackmon and Ezequiel Tovar -- the latter of which drove in the tying run.

“You’re always hoping stuff like this gets you going,” added McMahon, who provided his sixth career walk-off, his fifth career walk-off hit, and his first walk-off plate appearance that was not a home run. McMahon won the April 5 home opener with a grand slam against the Rays.

However, the success stopped as soon as it started. Peter Lambert gave up six second-inning runs and the offense managing just six hits, the Rockies dropped the nightcap, 10-2. Their 5-17 mark is the worst at this point in franchise history, and their 22 games without consecutive victories is the longest such run to start a season in the club’s 32 seasons.

At least there was joy in Denver at the end of the first game.

The Tovar RBI -- which McMahon graciously called “the reason we won that game” -- snapped the Rockies’ club-record 23-inning home scoreless streak. They last scored at Coors in the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on April 10.

Given the beginning of the club’s season, which includes a vicious stomach virus that has been claiming roster members for more than a week (and tried to mess with Sunday’s game), one would not be blamed for wondering if the Stallings play would lead to another stomach ache for the Rockies.

Stallings’ fly ball to deep left field off Ryne Stanek brought the crowd to its feet. One member of said crowd stretched with all his might to catch what might have been a home run. In doing so, though, his glove knocked the ball away from leaping Mariners left fielder Dylan Moore.

“I was hoping for the best -- I thought it might have been a homer off the bat,” Stallings said. “I wasn’t really sure what was going on. I saw the ball come back on the field, so I just thought it hit the fence or something.”

Stallings beat Moore’s throw to second base. But the Rockies challenged, taking the chance that it might have been a game-ending home run.

“It looked like it went over the wall,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “But in the rule, in the judgment of the umpiring crew in New York, they thought Moore might have had a chance to catch it if it wasn’t for the fan.”

Hadn’t the Rockies been through enough by that point?

Since the April 12 opener of the team’s last road trip -- the Rockies’ last win before Sunday -- Blackmon, Brendan Rodgers, Jake Cave and third-base coach Warren Schaeffer all missed at least one game with the stomach virus. McMahon said he had it in Toronto, but was able to play. Rodgers missed four games before returning Sunday afternoon.

And the bug hit right-hander Cal Quantrill, the Rockies starter on Sunday.

“I told him before the game I bet six zeros would make him feel better,” Stallings said.

Well, Quantrill fostered the half-dozen donuts, despite five walks. He completed his outing by working out of a two-on, no-out situation in the sixth.

He was involved in a lot of action between innings as well.

“Full disclosure, he had the little bit of a stomach virus that’s been going around, he was throwing up in between innings, battled and really performed -- made some pitches when he needed to,” said Black, who watched relievers Jake Bird (two innings), Nick Mears and Justin Lawrence (one apiece) combine to strike out six and not allow an earned run. Lawrence stymied the Mariners after J.P. Crawford singled the automatic runner home to open the 10th.

The Rockies went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position through the first six innings. They had loaded bases and one out in the sixth, when Mariners reliever Trent Thornton struck out Micahel Toglia and forced a Stallings fielder’s choice grounder.

But the Rockies stomached the call against Stallings, and earned a first-game victory -- a brief bit of relief that they had been seeking for more than a week.