Doyle's wall-crashing catch headlines Rox stellar defensive showing

DENVER -- The Rockies’ fourth straight victory, a 3-1 win over the defending World Series champion Rangers to complete a three-game sweep Sunday, left a mark.

Just to the right of the “415-ft” wall in center at Coors Field, two of the pads were dented, split and borderline mangled. Call it center fielder Brenton Doyle’s mark of defense.

A Rockies team that thought defense would be its calling card this season broke Rangers dreams all over the diamond. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon had multiple highlights.

Most memorably, Doyle snatched Corey Seager’s drive to end the fifth inning, saving two runs at the end of starter Ty Blach’s outing. Doyle crashed into the fence and lay on the warning track for a few seconds to calm his pain sensors.

“I’m fine,” said Doyle, who drew a bases-loaded walk for an eighth-inning RBI. “I just had to catch my breath there for a second.”

But teammates were happily concerned about the wall, which stayed damaged for the rest of the game.

“Did you see that wall?” Rodgers said. “It looked like that part of the wall was going to fall off eventually. I thought it was a door at first when I saw him hit it. It’s completely concave.”

Blach, who left with one run allowed (instead of three) on seven hits in his five innings, said, “Oh, man, there’s a big hole in the fence.”

Coors Field maintenance will take care of that.

The Rockies (12-28) fixed some of the heartache that was the beginning of their season with the game-changing defense and the victories over the Giants on Thursday and the Rangers Friday through Sunday. The successes ended season-long dry spells in terms of consecutive wins, a series victory and a sweep.

Little was expected of the under-construction Rockies, who had a club-worst 59-103 finish last season. But the defense, especially in the infield, was seen as worthy of a contending club. The gloves have been solid, as has the starting pitching, but so much has gone wrong that it hasn’t been visible.

Third-base coach Warren Schaeffer, who is in charge of the infielders, pointed out in the monthly defensive meeting (held at the start of the 4-2 homestand) that the club had played well. On Sunday, Schaeffer texted to those who played, all nine balls that could be fielded were turned into outs.

The performance was on manager Bud Black’s radar.

“You should hear the dugout, which is awesome … in real time, when plays are made, it’s so energizing and uplifting and awesome,” Black said. “Today was arguably one of the best defensive games I’ve seen.”

Before and after Tovar’s two-run homer in the first off former Rockies righty José Ureña, defense was shiny. Why pick highlights from Sunday, when there were so many plays worth appreciating:

• Blach gave up two hits in the top of the first but forced Nathaniel Lowe into a 3-6-1 double play, one Blach credited to rookie first baseman Hunter Goodman for his scoop and throw.

• Rodgers -- whose offensive footnote was his first steal on his first career attempt, in his 353rd career game (352 without a steal or attempt is a club record for a non-pitcher and the MLB record for a middle infielder who played in 75 percent of his team’s games since 1961) -- made a heads-up fielding play in the second. Rodgers fielded Andrew Knizner’s grounder behind second and caught lead runner Robbie Grossman between second and third.

• In the third, McMahon ranged deep into foul ground in left for an over-the-head catch of Seager’s fly ball.

• In the fifth, before Doyle’s play with two on base, Tovar fielded a Knizner grounder and made an awkward flip to Rodgers, who barehanded and made a bounce throw to first to complete the double play.

• The infield spent the rest of the game showing off, with McMahon, Tovar and Rodgers making highlight-reel plays in the seventh and eighth.

Rodgers (2022) and Doyle (2023) own Gold Glove awards, and McMahon and Tovar have been finalists. With the Rockies getting solid pitching during the streak, the defense came in handy. On Sunday, Blach was followed by scoreless work from Victor Vodnik, Tyler Kinley and Jalen Beeks (third save).

“It’s something that we keep fighting for,” Tovar said of the defense. “We keep playing and thankfully this week and this series, we finally got those results.”