Montero’s triple in five-run first lifts Rockies over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Elehuris Montero’s two-run triple highlighted Colorado’s five-run first inning and the Rockies hung on for a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Matt Carasiti (1-0) earned the win with 2 1/3 innings in relief of starter Austin Gomber, who allowed a pair of runs on six hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings. Justin Lawrence recorded four outs for his second save.

“To win a game like that, when you go to the bullpen in the third inning, you need your relievers to all step up,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “They all did a nice job.”

Carasiti’s win was his first since Aug. 19, 2016, his only other major league victory.

“Honestly, I didn’t even really realize it,” Carasiti said. “But, it does feel good. It means a lot, helping the team win.”

The Rockies’ first three hitters reached safely in the first, with Charlie Blackmon — who was hit by a pitch to lead off the game — scoring on Ryan McMahon’s soft liner over shortstop. McMahon is hitting .487 (19 for 39) with 15 RBIs in his last 10 games.

Randal Grichuk’s one-out single added another run before Montero tripled down the right-field line, scoring two more. Montero scored on Brenton Doyle’s sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.

“That was a good inning for us,” Montero said. “We took advantage and executed when we needed to. It gave us confidence going into the rest of the game.”

“We caught a couple of breaks right off the bat,” Black said. “(Blackmon) got hit and (McMahon), sort of a soft liner, and we just kept going from there. We made contact. You put the ball in play, a lot of good things can happen.”

Royals starter Daniel Lynch (0-1) threw 38 pitches in the laborious first inning, then settled in to complete five innings. He allowed five runs, three earned, and six hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

“Hits like that are going to happen,” Lynch said. “I tried to stay within my control and keep on attacking guys. I felt like I did that, but I put myself in a hole hitting the first guy.”

Colorado added a run in the sixth on Blackmon’s RBI hit as Kansas City reliever Josh Staumont walked three in the frame.

Nick Pratto’s third home run, a 438-foot solo shot to right, got the Royals on the board in the first. It was Pratto’s first career leadoff homer.

Bobby Witt Jr. had three singles for Kansas City but also committed a first-inning error that led to two unearned runs. He was also picked off third base ahead of Maikel Garcia’s RBI hit in the third inning which cut Colorado’s lead to 5-2.

“Bobby just tried to be too quick on the double-play ball,” Quatraro said. “I don’t know if we get (Jurickson) Profar on that.”

Drew Waters’ RBI single in the eighth made it 6-3. Salvador Perez’s two-out single in the ninth capped the scoring.

The Royals have lost 14 of 19 and are 8-23 at home.

TRANSACTIONS

Rockies RHP Nick Mears was reinstated from the 15-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

UP NEXT

Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (4-6, 4.22 ERA) opposes RHP Brady Singer (3-4, 7.12) in Sunday’s series finale.

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