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.
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Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Where to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Playoffs: TV channel, start time, streaming for April 18
The 2026 NBA postseason is finally here after a thrilling Play-In Tournament saw the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers officially earn their spot in the playoffs
The postseason action continues on Saturday as the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round. We’ve got you covered on everything you need to know to tune in for tip off.
Want to see the full National Basketball Association schedule for April 18 and how to watch all the games? Check out our sortable NBA schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 1?
Tip off between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 18.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:45 a.m.
Watch the NBA Playoffs on Fubo
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See scores, results for all of today’s games. .
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Timothy Weil
OBITUARY
Timothy Robert Weil 1952-2026 Tim Weil was born in Los Angeles, California.
In his early life he held many jobs, but he often commented that among his most memorable and rewarding roles was using his Spanish fluency to teach elementary school students in East LA. It instilled in him the importance of social justice which he in turn emphasized to his children.
On April Fool’s Day, 1981, he and “NC” (Nancy) married, a partnership that launched a unique and fulfilling life. Theirs was a union of sly, poetic witticism; they collaborated in writing jokes, songs, stories, and mythologies for over four decades. They maintained a high level commitment to wordplay and the celebration of silliness for most of their marriage. Tim and Nancy lived together in Boulder, CO, Chico, CA, Alexandria, VA, and Takoma Park, MD, before finally landing back in Denver as empty-nesters.
Tim found community in many places: Taking on a role as Assistant Scoutmaster with Page and Louis’ Boy Scout troop in Takoma Park; crafting an award-winning beer with his homebrewing group; staying in the game of baseball in the Ponce de Leon (over 50) league; playing bluegrass and folk music with other enthusiasts; performing stories with creatives at Denver venues; and joining Jewish congregations Temple Shalom in Maryland, and Temple Micah in Denver.
Tim’s creativity and playfulness were among his most defining features. Nothing was brighter than the gleam in his eye when he prepared to tell a joke, with a setup spanning about ten minutes of vivid details, often ending in a personalized, spectacularly delivered pun of his own design. To label those jokes mere “groaners” would be a disservice to his masterful storytelling. A piece he submitted to Rolling Stone about his jocular parasocial relationship with actor Lou Ferrigno received a personal rejection letter, noted as “very interesting” by the editor.
His professional work in the field of network security computing provided an outlet for his intellect as well as many professional and personal relationships throughout a career that spanned over 30 years. His writing was published in IEEE magazine and other tech journals.
Throughout his life he engaged deeply with visual art, literature, film, and music. He traveled far and wide, including to Jerusalem, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Vancouver, Seoul, Paris, Ipswich, London, and Edinburgh.
His recent struggle with severe depression was devastating for him and those close to him. It robbed him of his light and kept him in isolation from which sadly he was unable to escape. He will be remembered as the person who, despite the pain he carried, led an incredibly full life and touched the hearts of countless people with his witty humor and warmth.
He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 45 years, sons Page and Louis, daughter-in-law Jessica, grandsons Felix and Calvin, and cats Shackleton and Whiskey, along with many family and friends coast to coast.
A celebration of his life will be held in Denver at 1pm on Sunday, May 17th at Temple Micah, 1980 Dahlia Street. Bring your fondest memories of Tim. Please, no gifts or flowers. If you would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.org/.
So far, the Denver Broncos have signaled a willingness — nay, an eagerness — to run it back at tight end this offseason. It’s a curious strategy, considering how weak the tight end group was for Denver in 2025.
Evan Engram was signed last year to be the “Joker” tight end — a big slot receiving weapon to help open things up for Bo Nix in the middle of the field and down the seam. That didn’t happen.
Engram still finished third on the team in receiving behind wideouts Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, but it was a far cry from what fans expected to see from the two-time Pro Bowl tight end. Then there’s Adam Trautman — Denver’s in-line Y tight end — who was woefully inadequate as a blocker and offered little to Nix in the passing game.
Trautman was re-signed to a three-year deal with a raise that’ll pay him just short of $6 million per year, while both Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull were also brought back. Denver is running it back, but the draft could bring another set of hands into the mix.
Meanwhile, for those Broncos fans wondering whether Engram still fits into the Broncos’ offensive picture entering a contract year, head coach Sean Payton sure made it sound like it during his pre-draft press conference alongside GM George Paton.
“We definitely view him as a key piece,” Payton said of Engram. “Relative to Evan, he’s someone that gave us a lot of big plays a year ago, and we will continue to find ways to keep him and add to his workload.”
The Broncos didn’t have much incentive to move on from Engram after one year, considering the salary-cap ramifications of such a decision. He remains on the roster for a reason, and while Payton made Engram’s contributions sound much grander than they perhaps were, it sounds like Denver’s head coach has some unfinished business with his tight end weapon.
Payton’s Read On the 2026 Draft Class
As for what the draft could hold, Payton extolled the virtues of the tight end class. It sounds like tight end is front-of-brain for Denver, but Payton’s words could be a smoke screen.
“I would say this about this class in my opinion, if you are looking for a blocking ‘Y’, there are a handful available that would be targeted,” Payton said. “If you are looking for a ‘move,’ maybe a little bit undersized ‘F’, they are out there. To each his own, the different type of tight ends are available. It’s always a challenge with that position because sometimes you are projecting maybe in an offense that is playing them differently.”
The Broncos have one of the better ‘F’ tight ends in Engram, even if he’s well on the wrong side of 30. Payton and Nix can still make a lot of hay with Engram, especially with new offensive coordinator Davis Webb now calling the plays.
However, the Broncos could really (and I mean really) use an upgrade at the Y. Trautman gives them a plausible option if they had to go to war tomorrow, but he’s not a true asset, and some would argue that he’s, in fact, a blocking liability, no matter how much the Broncos try to gaslight everyone on the subject.
Potential Y TE Candidates
This draft class features some very intriguing Y candidates, including Georgia’s Oscar Delp — who could be so, so much more — Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher, and Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek, to name a few. After the foot injury that was discovered at the Combine back in February, Delp’s draft stock took a hit, but he resurrected it during the Georgia pro day with how he performed.
I could see Delp going in Round 2. He could be in play for Denver at No. 62 overall. The Broncos say they have “six players” they’re targeting in Round 2, but there’s no way to know if Delp is one of them.
Another guy who could grow into a Y tight end but is, for now, an F is Ohio State’s Max Klare, who’s widely viewed as the third-best player at the position in this class behind Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers. I would rank Delp as the No. 2 behind Sadiq, but because he didn’t test at the Combine, he won’t be viewed that way until perhaps a few years down the road.
Delp could be one of the biggest steals in the 2026 NFL draft. If the Broncos were to target him, he could not only offer them long-term viability to replace Trautman inside, but he’s also one heck of a receiver, which would make him a great ‘move’ tight end, like Engram.
The Takeaway
The possibilities are endless, which is part of what makes the run-up to the draft so fascinating, but also maddening. Time will tell whether the Broncos prioritize tight end in this draft, but we can all say for sure now that Engram is part of the 2026 offensive vision.
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