Denver, CO
Sam Hilliard’s clutch homer, Ezequiel Tovar’s walk-off send Rockies to win over Red Sox in 12 innings
The Rockies won as a visitor in their own ballpark on Monday at Fenway Park West.
In front of a pro-Boston gathering of 35,261 at Coors Field, Colorado outlasted the Red Sox 9-8 in 12 innings to claim the series opener. LoDo rising star Ezequiel Tovar roped the walk-off single to improve the Rockies to 6-4 in extras this year and send the red-clad crowd streaming toward the exits.
“There were a lot of Sox fans there, and at times, it felt like an away game,” Sam Hilliard said. “But we were resilient tonight… Guys coming out of the bullpen are doing a great job right now, making big pitches, and we had a pass-the-baton mentality.
“… We’re not going to lie down (in the second half). We feel like we can compete and beat anybody, and I think we’re been showing that a little bit lately by playing spoiler or whatever you want to call it.”
Prior to Tovar’s hit that lifted Colorado to its seventh walk-off win this year, the Rockies blew two leads and staged a comeback of their own to tie the game in the 10th on Hilliard’s two-run homer in a dramatic interleague affair.
“It was a great game, and a good win,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “It was going to be a tough loss for whoever lost that one, but our guys endured.”
After a couple of quiet innings to open the game, Colorado jumped out to a significant lead in the third.
In that frame, rookie Aaron Schunk’s rollover grounder down the third base line hit the bag, resulting in an infield single and jump-starting a big inning. Charlie Blackmon followed with a two-run homer to right on a hanging slider by Tanner Houck.
Tovar then had a swinging bunt. And after Brenton Doyle’s RBI double and Michael Toglia’s RBI single added two more runs, the first-time All-Star Houck was down 4-0.
“We took advantage of some balls up in the zone,” Black said.
But the four-run lead, and Austin Gomber’s cruise control, couldn’t hold.
The Red Sox broke through with four runs of their own in the fifth, tying the game with a pair of two-out swings. Jamie Westbrook’s three-run homer was the backbreaker, then All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran blasted a triple and Rob Refsnyder’s single through the left side tied the game.
Gomber finished with four earned on six hits through 5 2/3, with one walk and five strikeouts. The southpaw said his final stat line didn’t accurately reflect how comfortable he felt on the mound and his recent positive trajectory.
“I made one bad pitch and gave up a three-run homer, but that’s the best I’ve thrown the ball since 2021,” Gomber said. “I haven’t had that good of stuff in three-plus years. It sucks to make a mistake on the homer, but if I can take that (stuff) every five days, I’ll be fine. The past couple weeks is the livest my arm’s felt in a couple years.”
The Rockies re-took the lead in the seventh following a decidedly Red Sox rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. Brendan Rodgers singled against Josh Winckowski, then Jacob Stallings’ two-out double down the right field line scored Rodgers to make it 5-4.
Boston didn’t waste time squaring the score back up, as Connor Wong led off the eighth with an arching homer to right off southpaw Jalen Beeks that just cleared the out-of-town scoreboard. That energized the pro-Boston crowd on hand, but the Red Sox failed to grab the lead with further traffic when Beeks induced an inning-ending double play.
The Red Sox appeared to have the final say with two runs off Victor Vodnik in the 10th, thanks to Dominic Smith’s leadoff RBI double to score the California runner and then Rafael Devers’ sacrifice fly a couple of batters later. But Hilliard came through with a two-run dinger in the bottom of the inning off right-hander Zack Kelly. Hilliard’s hit sailed 450 feet into the Boston bullpen to tie the game 7-7.
“I went up there looking for a changeup, which is the pitch I hit out,” Hilliard said. “My swing probably got a little too big at first. On 0-1, he pretty much threw the same pitch but a little bit lower, more into the loop of my swing. Before that, I was telling myself to shorten up and not do too much. I was able to put the barrel on it and it went, so it’s good to see an adjustment pay off like that mid at-bat.”
Justin Lawrence worked out of a jam in the 11th, getting a double-play ball and then inducing another groundout to end the inning. But the Rockies left runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning as right-hander Greg Weissert stymied them. At the conclusion of the frame, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Mark Wegner.
“Lawrence’s fastball was crispy tonight (topping out at 97.1 mph), and a little hotter than what we saw prior to the All-Star break,” Black said. “He also had a couple good breaking balls.”
Boston re-took the lead in the 12th via a two-out RBI single off Lawrence by Wilyer Abreu. In the bottom of the inning, Jake Cave scored Rodgers on a single that turned into a double on an error by Tyler O’Neil in left field. Then, an intentional walk to Stallings, a sacrifice bunt by Hilliard and an intentional walk to Schunk set up Tovar’s walk-off single off ex-Rockie Chase Anderson.
Tovar missed Sunday’s series finale against the Giants due to illness, and was still sick on Monday as he returned to the lineup to deliver his third career walk-off hit.
“That was a little Michael Jordan flu game for Tovar tonight to get the game-winning knock,” Hilliard said. “He had (three) knocks on the night and you could just tell he was grinding.”
Tuesday’s pitching matchup
Rockies LHP Ty Blach (3-5, 5.46 ERA) vs. Red Sox TBA
6:40 p.m. Tuesday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
After German Marquez landed on the injured list on Monday with right elbow inflammation, Blach likely gets the nod in his 10th start of the season. Blach got hit around in his last start, when the Dodgers tagged him for five runs on 10 hits with three homers in a loss at Coors Field on June 20. He also hasn’t been very good in relief lately, with a 8.31 ERA in three June outings. Unfamiliarity will be on the southpaw’s side as he makes just his second career start against Boston, and only three current Red Sox have faced him.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (6-7, 4.15) vs. Red Sox TBA, 1:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off
Friday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-3, 5.63) at Giants TBA, 8:15 p.m.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Originally Published:
Police have issued a Medina Alert to try to locate a white Toyota Corolla that was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a pedestrian in Denver on Saturday.
The crash happened just before 9 a.m. near South Federal Boulevard and West Kentucky Avenue in west Denver.
The specific car being sought is a white 2010 Corolla with Colorado license plate EDM-U42, according to Denver police. Investigators say the driver of the Corolla struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk at the intersection, causing serious bodily injury. The driver then allegedly fled northbound on South Federal Boulevard.
Police say there will be slight to moderate damage to the front bumper.
Denver, CO
Man found guilty of murder 9 years after girlfriend’s body was found in Denver-bound Amtrak train
DENVER — A Denver man was convicted Friday of murdering his girlfriend, nearly 10 years after her body was discovered inside a Denver-bound Amtrak train.
Angelo Valentino Mantych, 43, was convicted by a jury of his peers on one count of first-degree murder after deliberation for killing 28-year-old Marina Placensia while on-board an Amtrak overnight train that was headed to Denver from Wisconsin the morning of Sept. 1, 2016.
It took jurors about five hours of deliberation to reach the guilty verdict on Friday. Each was individually polled on their decision — and all of them confirmed their verdict.
Mantych, who was in court Friday for the reading of the verdict, hanged his head as it was read. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9.
Meanwhile, Placensia’s family was overcome with emotion when they heard the guilty verdict. Outside of the courtroom, Placensia’s father told Denver7 the day felt like Christmas, New Years Eve, and his birthday rolled into one day.
Denver7 also spoke with a juror, who said the group was united in their decision and worked well together.
First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, but the sentencing hearing will be an opportunity for those who loved Placensia to tell the judge how this loss has impacted their lives.
The two sides delivered their closing arguments on Friday morning.
Prosecutors said Placensia took the train that day with her four children, three of whom she shared with Mantych, to escape years of abuse and domestic violence. They argued that a “loss of control” served as motive for the killing. Prosecutors aimed to discredit the alternative explanations offered for Placensia’s death, pointing to what they said was clear evidence of a smothering.
Man found guilty of murder 9 years after girlfriend’s body was found in Denver-bound Amtrak train
The defense’s closing arguments centered around an apparent lack of commotion on the train on the night of Placensia’s death, saying it would be “almost impossible” for her to have been smothered for several minutes without their children noticing. Defense attorneys also called into question the integrity of an investigation that saw significant delays.
The case against Mantych is one Denver7 has been following since at least October 2023, when Mantych was charged with murder in connection with the crime.
An arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7 in the case showed the woman had several bruises on her body “consistent with an assault or struggle,” but investigators were not able to identify an obvious cause of death at the time. An autopsy later found blunt impacts to her head, trunk and extremities.
The investigation took several years to piece together, something the defense brought into question during closing arguments Friday.
“I think this case is such a great example of law enforcement just remaining committed to a case that they knew something happened, but we just had challenges with filing it, and so it’s a real testament to endurance and commitment by the entire team who’s worked on it since 2016,” said Assistant District Attorney Lara Mullin outside of the courtroom.
“It sends a very strong message to offenders who think that they can continue to perpetrate these types of crimes and violence on victims of domestic violence, that there will be justice sought and that we will not relent in our pursuit of that justice for victims of domestic violence,” said Amelia Sapp, the Chief Trial Deputy of Domestic Violence and Child Victims.
During the investigative process, one person told detectives that Mantych beat Placensia daily, and another said she had to go to a hospital multiple times for her injuries from the assaults, according to arresting documents. At least one of the reports obtained from the Racine Police Department and dated March 13, 2015, showed Mantych had punched Placensia’s ear several times, causing her to lose hearing in that ear. He was arrested and charged with assault after that incident.
On May 18, 2023, a doctor confirmed he believed Placensia’s cause of death was the result of asphyxia from suffocation and said her injuries were consistent with suffocation cases in both living and deceased patients, the affidavit stated. He said he believed her injuries were the result of an assault, including blunt force trauma and suffocation.
Mantych pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge on June 21, 2024, according to court documents.
His trial began at the beginning of the month.
He did not testify in the trial and his defense team declined to comment on the verdict.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available through Violence Free Colorado or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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True to form, Jacobs pushed to practice but said team doctors told him to chill and be smart about it. The goal is to reduce the inflammation as much as possible to increase his chances of playing.
In his pre-practice news conference on Thursday, Head Coach Matt LaFleur praised Jacobs for “doing everything in his power to get ready to go.” From his perspective, Jacobs said he feels more relief than frustration.
“I’ve been in this league a long time, and it’s not too much that really gets me discouraged or anything like that,” Jacobs said.
“We still know what’s ahead of us. Now, if we were having this going into the playoffs, it would be a little weird, but at that point I wouldn’t care because it’s either do or don’t. But for me, I know my body, there’s nothing structurally wrong, so I don’t feel like it’s something I have to overly think about.”
If Jacobs can’t go Sunday, Wilson would be in line to make his second NFL start against the team with whom he broke into the league back in 2023.
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of NCAA Division II Fort Valley State (Ga.), Wilson spent just three days with the Broncos before he was released. Ten days later, he signed with the Packers and later made the team’s 53-man roster.
The 5-foot-10, 226-pound Wilson has since rushed for 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries (4.6 yards per carry) in 37 games, highlighted by a gratifying career day against Minnesota a few weeks ago.
“I still got that mentality to go out there and do it again,” Wilson said. “If (Jacobs) is going, he’s going. If I get my opportunity once again, I’m going to take advantage of it.”
Whoever starts against Denver understands the challenge its defense presents. In addition to the Broncos pacing the NFL with 55 sacks, they also boast a No. 2-ranked run defense that’s allowing just 89.0 yards per game.
Denver hasn’t allowed a running back to gain more than 100 yards since Jonathan Taylor’s 165-yard effort powered Indianapolis to a 29-28 victory in Week 2.
As much as Jacobs enjoys practicing, he doesn’t feel it’s a requirement in order for him to play in Denver. It all comes down to how his body is feeling and whether the team doctors give him the green light on Sunday afternoon.
“I always plan to play,” Jacobs said. “They gotta kinda tell me I can’t play for me not to play. For me, that’s where my head is at, but I’m also realistically just day-to-day right now.”
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