The Rockies haven't had much success early in the season, and it seemed like they might change that on a sunny home opener at Coors Field.
Then, the problems came back.
Ryan McMahon hit a huge grand slam in the ninth inning off Jason Adam to give the Rockies a 10-7 win. Fairbanks hurt his team by walking the bases full.
It was the third time in Rockies history that a player hit a walk-off grand slam.
In a familiar Rockies fashion, they almost lost the game in the ninth inning when the Rays scored five runs (four earned) off closer Justin Lawrence to take a 7-6 lead.
Tampa took the lead when Jose Siri reached on a throwing error by McMahon at third base and Ben Rortvedt scored. McMahon made a great play on Siri’s hard hit and threw the ball to Kris Bryant at first base. Bryant didn't make the play, and he was heavily booed.
A full crowd of 48,399 fans enjoyed the sunny weather, with a first-pitch temperature of 75 degrees, a record high on opening day in Denver, not counting the 2020 season that was shortened due to the pandemic.
It was an exciting and crazy game.
Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Bryant each hit two-run homers, making the home opener a true LoDo baseball celebration — for a while.
During spring training, the Rockies signed Tovar to a $63.5 million contract extension, with general manager Bill Schmidt saying, 'He’s somebody we can build around.'
22-year-old Tovar lived up to those high expectations, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning to give Colorado a 4-2 lead.
Nolan Jones singled to left, advanced to third on Ryan McMahon’s double, and scored on Elias Diaz’s sacrifice fly. Then Tovar hit a powerful two-run homer off lefty Colin Poche's 2-1 slider, sending it 420 feet into the left-field bleachers.
Bryant, the highest-paid player for Colorado, who had a .103 batting average entering the game, was heavily booed in his first three at-bats. But he hit a high, 422-foot homer down the left-field line in the eighth off Jacob Waguespack, turning the fans' jeers into cheers.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber was inefficient but effective, throwing 89 pitches (57 strikes) in just four innings. He walked three and gave up four hits but also racked up seven strikeouts.
Gomer needed 41 pitches to get through a tough first inning, but he got three strikeouts, limiting the damage to one run despite giving a leadoff walk to Yandy Diaz, who later scored on Isaac Paredes’ single to make it 1-0.
The Rockies quickly responded in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game, with consecutive one-out doubles from Brendan Rodgers and Nolan Jones.
The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, taking advantage of Gomber's free pass. Jose Siri walked, stole second, and scored on Yandy Diaz’s RBI single to right field.
