DENVER (AP) - A mixture of relief and concern coursed through the Colorado Rockies’ clubhoue after the loss of center fielder David Dahl to injury.
Dahl was carted off the field after spraining his ankle while making an awkward catch, and substitute Ian Desmond hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning that sent Rockies over the San Francisco Giants on 5-4 Friday night.
Dahl left in obvious pain as his teammates gathered around. The Rockies said X-rays on his right ankle were negative, and the club had yet to determine the severity of the injury. More diagnostics were planned Saturday and manager Bud Black said Dahl was likely headed for a stay on the injured list.
“Anytime a guy goes down and it looks bad, I think there’s a sickening feeling amongst all of us,” Black said. “You hate to see those things happen to your own, and David has been so instrumental in the middle of our order, playing good defense. You just hate to see that happen … but it could have been worse.”
Dahl, a first-time All-Star this season, slightly overran a knuckling flyball from Scooter Gennett in the sixth inning, planting his feet to make a sudden stop and leaning back to make the catch.
But Dahl’s right foot caught in the grass and he crumpled to ground, grimacing and grabbing his ankle. The game was stopped for several minutes while medical personnel assessed the injury and brought the cart out to carry him off the field.
The 25-year-old Dahl began the day batting .302 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs. He missed two months last season because of a broken right foot suffered when he fouled off a pitch. He missed all of the 2017 season with a stress reaction in his rib cage.
“You hate to see that with David,” said Ryan McMahon, one of his closest friends on the team. “He’s been having an incredible year. Obviously he has a history of injuries. Knowing him … and just knowing how frustrated he’s been with all the stupid injuries that have happened, hopefully this is something that is not too serious and he can get back to us quick.”
Trevor Story and McMahon also homered for the Rockies. Mike Yastrzemski had a home run and Austin Slater hit a run-scoring triple for the Giants.
Scott Oberg, designated the Rockies’ closer in place of slumping Wade Davis earlier in the day, got out of a two-on, one-out jam by getting Yastrzemski to ground into a game-ending double play for his fourth save of the season. Jairo Diaz (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win.
“We had the right guy up there,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s not going to happen all the time. But you look at what he’s done for us. He’s really played great baseball.”
Yastrzemski said Oberg jammed him with the pitch.
“It just got in on me a little bit,” he said.
Trailing 2-1 going into the fifth, the Giants struck for three runs on an RBI triple by Austin Slater and a two-run drive by Yastrzemski off Peter Lambert estimated at 472 feet. The ball bounced off the facade of the third deck at Coors Field and fell behind the center field fence.
The Rockies came back to even the score at 4 in the sixth. Daniel Murphy singled, Sam Selman relieved Shaun Anderson, and McMahon followed by connecting for his 12th home run of the season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: CF Kevin Pillar did not start to give him a chance to rest a sore hip and lower back. He sustained the injury Thursday when he crashed into the wall at Philadelphia trying to make a catch. Pillar came on as a pinch-runner in the ninth. … SS Brandon Crawford was cleared to play after getting through pre-game warmups with no signs of lingering shoulder pain. Crawford came out of Thursday’s game at Philadelphia early after jamming his shoulder diving for a grounder.
GIANTS MOVES
Gennett, acquired Wednesday in a trade with Cincinnati, joined the Giants in Denver in time to make his debut with his new team. OF Steven Duggar also was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. To make room for the additions, the Giants designated INF/OF Tyler Austin for assignment and optioned RHP Dereck Rodriguez to their Sacramento farm club.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Bruce Bochy, making his final appearance this weekend at Coors Field as the Giants manager before retiring at the end of this season, was presented with the “SF” sign from the Rockies’ out of town scoreboard. The parting gift was presented to Bochy by Rockies counterpart Bud Black, and team owner Richard Monfort during a pregame ceremony at homeplate. Bochy has managed 212 games at Coors Field, more than twice as many as any other opposing manager, while leading the San Diego Padres (1995-2006) and Giants (2007-current).
UP NEXT
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (6-7, 3.74 ERA) is slated to start Saturday night, his first since Wednesday’s expiration of the trading deadline. The Giants opted to retain their ace rather than deal him as part of an all-out rebuild after a midseason surge revived the team’s playoff hopes.
Rockies: Jon Gray (10-7, 3.88 ERA) has gone 1-2 in three previous starts this season against the Giants.
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