DENVER (AP) - Ryan McMahon couldn’t hit a home run while working his way back from the injured list. He had no trouble going deep in his first game back in the lineup.
McMahon homered twice and had five RBIs and Kyle Freeland pitched six scoreless innings as the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 Thursday night.
McMahon had the first multi-homer game of his career and finished with three hits as the Rockies snapped a five-game home losing streak. Colorado has won four in a row overall after dropping eight straight.
McMahon had been out of the lineup since suffering a strained left elbow against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 5. He missed 10 games and was in Arizona in extended spring training to get his timing back, but didn’t find his power stroke in his rehab work.
“I had no home runs down there,” he said. “Not even close, actually.”
His two homers were no-doubters. The first one traveled 412 feet, and the second 416.
“I felt good down (in Arizona) and wanted to carry that over,” he said.
J.T. Realmuto homered and Cesar Hernandez had three hits for Philadelphia.
Freeland (2-3), who left Saturday’s start in San Francisco with a blister issue, allowed just two hits and didn’t walk a batter to win his eighth game in his last nine decisions at Coors Field. He left after 85 pitches because the blister started forming on his finger again.
“It’s fine. It started creeping on us, started building,” he said. “We decided it was best to not push it where something worse can happen.”
He struck out seven but was headed for a no-decision when McMahon hit a three-run homer off Philadelphia starter Zach Eflin (2-2) in the bottom of the sixth to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead.
It was the only real mistake Eflin made in his six innings.
“I’m not disappointed with the way I pitched,” he said. “It was one moment.”
Realmuto cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the seventh with his third home run of the season, but McMahon blasted a low fastball from Victor Arano into the Rockies bullpen in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.
“That would have been a ball if he took it, but he dug it out,” Colorado manager Buddy Black said. “We talk about homers, and most of the time they’re mistakes. The first one is a change-up in the middle of the plate and the second homer was a pretty good pitcher’s pitch.”
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler thought the same thing.
“I can’t fault Victor. It was a good pitch,” he said. “McMahon swung over the same pitch in the at-bat. He threw him a fastball and then came back with the pitch down and gave up the home run.”
Tony Wolters had three hits and Nolan Arenado two for the Rockies.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: OF Odubel Herrera (right hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game and OF Roman Quinn was activated. Herrera left Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning after pulling up while chasing a fly ball against the New York Mets. … SS Jean Segura tested out his strained left hamstring before the game, but was not in the lineup.
Rockies: OF David Dahl was activated from the 10-day injured list and was in the lineup Thursday. Dahl, who had been out since April 8 with a left core injury, doubled and scored a run. Colorado optioned OF Yonathan Daza and INF Josh Fuentes to Triple-A Albuquerque. … OF Ian Desmond (general leg soreness) was not in the starting lineup, but pinch-hit in the eighth inning. … An MRI confirmed C Chris Iannetta had a strained right lat. He was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday.
COLD WELCOME
Outfielder Bryce Harper made his first trip to Denver since signing with the Phillies and he didn’t get a lot of love from the fans. He was booed in all four plate appearances and finished 0-for-3 with a walk.
He shrugged off the crowd’s welcome.
“I’m used to it. I get booed everywhere,” he said.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (0-0, 2.25) is scheduled to make his third start and fourth appearance of the season.
Rockies: RHP German Marquez (2-1, 2.00) threw a one-hitter for his first career shutout in San Francisco on Sunday.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Please read our comment policy before commenting.