 allowed four hits, struck out four and walked three. Chad Bettis, Mike Dunn, Jairo Diaz and Bryan Shaw worked the final three innings. Shaw struck out the side in the ninth.Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-6) dropped his fifth straight decision, a career high. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.Arenado worked the count full before driving a pitch from Justin Shafer into the left-field bleachers in the seventh for his 16th homer.TRAINER'S ROOMRockies: RHP Wade Davis threw a second bullpen session in the latest step toward a return from a left oblique strain. He went on the 10-day injured list May 22. ... OF Charlie Blackmon did some conditioning work and baseball activities on the field prior to the game. Though he is making progress, he is not expected to be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible for reinstatement Tuesday, manager Bud Black said.ROCKIES MOVEInfielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and started in center field. Hampson made the team out of spring training but was optioned in mid-May after getting off to a slow start offensively. Right-hander Jesus Tinoco was optioned to Albuquerque to make room for Hampson.UP NEXTBlue Jays: After an off day, LHP Clayton Richard (0-1, 3.38 ERA) takes the mound for his third start of the season in a series opener against the New York Yankees.Rockies: Following an off day, the Rockies open a six-game trip Tuesday night at the Chicago Cubs. Jeff Hoffman (1-1, 7.20 ERA) is slated to start the series opener.)
Young Jays aim to cool off RockiesFLMThe Toronto Blue Jays haven't had much to cheer about lately, so the focus has been on the future.Toronto was at the .500 mark in late April but has gone 7-23 since then to fall far out of the playoff hunt in early June. The latest struggle was a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies in Denver on Saturday night that extended its losing streak to five games.The Blue Jays wrap up the interleague series Sunday afternoon at Coors Field with right-hander Aaron Sanchez going against Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela.Sanchez will get the ball despite leaving his last start, Tuesday against the host Tampa Bay Rays, with a torn nail on his right middle finger.Sanchez has faced the Rockies once in his career, on June 29, 2016, with a dominant performance at Coors Field. He held Colorado to one run over eight innings and struck out three. That was Sanchez's first full year in the majors and his best so far. He was 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 30 starts to help lead Toronto to the AL wild card.Things haven't gone as smoothly for him since. He started only eight games in 2017 and 20 last year, but he has found his form in the first 12 starts of 2019. He is 3-5 with a 3.75 ERA on a team that has struggled.While they've fallen in the standings, the Blue Jays have brought up players they hope will be the foundation for the future. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio have made a splash since arriving, as has outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.Gurriel was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo last week and had at least one extra-base hit in his first seven games."I'm in a great spot right now," Gurriel told the Toronto Sun. "I feel very confident and I feel very comfortable." The Rockies will try for their eighth straight win and a 9-1 homestand on Sunday. Senzatela (3-4, 5.81 ERA), who has never faced Toronto, is coming off a strong start against Arizona on Tuesday, going six innings and giving up just two runs, but got a no-decision in Colorado's 6-2 win.Only three starters have earned the victory in the last nine games, but the Rockies are winning with a hot offense. Trevor Story is 14-for-31 and Nolan Arenado has 17 hits on the homestand. Arenado extended his hitting streak to 12 games Saturday night.The Rockies scored 183 runs in May, which were the most in the National League and tied for fourth most in a month in team history. Colorado had 61 of those runs in the last eight games of May."We do have a good lineup," manager Bud Black said after the Rockies' 13-6 win over Toronto on Friday night. "I think it's deep. It has speed. It has power. It has average." It's also poised to get stronger with outfielder Charlie Blackmon expected back from a calf injury when Colorado goes on a six-game road trip starting Tuesday. A win in the finale of the three-game series against Toronto would send Colorado to face the Chicago Cubs four games above .500."It's been really remarkable. It's been a testament to this team," first baseman Daniel Murphy said this week. "It's as resilient a group I've ever been a part of." --Field Level Media
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