DENVER — Frankie Montas took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Elly De La Cruz hit a 448-foot homer and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Elias Diaz broke up Montas’ no-hit bid with a double to center field to open the seventh, but Montas (3-4) retired the next three batters to conclude his outing and win for the first time since April 3.
Montas became the first visiting pitcher in the history of hitter-friendly Coors Field to throw at least seven innings with nine or more strikeouts while allowing no more than one hit, according to OptaSTATS.
Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers threw the only no-hitter at Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, the first of his two career no-nos. The ballpark with the spacious outfield and mile-high elevation opened the prior season.
Montas struck out nine while relying on a fastball that consistently reached 97 mph. He struck out six on heaters and threw 96 pitches, 63 for strikes. Fernando Cruz replaced him in the eighth.
The Rockies had two runners on base in one inning, the fifth, after Brenton Doyle reached second on fielding and throwing errors by third baseman Jeimer Candelario on the same play and Jake Cave walked. Montas got Hunter Goodman on a routine fly to right field to end the frame.
Reds first baseman Spencer Steer dropped Doyle’s two-out foul pop in front of the Colorado dugout with two outs and Diaz on second in the seventh, but Montas got Doyle on a groundout to third.
Brandon Rodgers broke up the shutout with a two-out double in the ninth inning against Buck Farmer after Diaz singled and took second on defensive indifference.
Steer doubled in a run in the first inning off Ty Blach (2-3) and De La Cruz hit his 10th homer of the season in the third for a 2-0 lead. De La Cruz had been 1 for 18 with nine strikeouts in the first four games of the Reds' current trip.
Tyler Stephenson doubled and scored in a two-run fourth, and Stuart Fairchild singled in a run.
Stephenson, Fairchild and Steer had two hits apiece for the Reds, who have won three of four and seven of 10. The Rockies have lost four in a row.
The Reds have outscored the Rockies 13-3 in the first two games of the series.
ACES UP
Evansville beat East Carolina on Monday to win its first NCAA regional, and Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, a Purple Aces alum, could not be happier. Freeland and his wife, Ashley, donated about $3 million in May to build a clubhouse for the program.
“That program shaped me to be the man that I am today, the player that I am today, the person that I am today,” Freeland said. “I’m very grateful for that university.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: OF Blake Dunn had his contract purchased from Triple-A Louisville and 1B/OF Nick Martini was optioned to Louisville on Tuesday. ... RHP Emilio Pagan (triceps) is expected to have one more bullpen session before being activated from the injured list. He was eligible to return Tuesday.
Rockies: Freeland (elbow) threw 40 pitches in a live batting practice session Tuesday. “Full arsenal,” he said. “Felt great.” Freeland is to pitch next in the Arizona complex league and could return before the All-Star break. ... OF Kris Bryant (sore ribs) missed his second straight game. ... OF Nolan Jones (back, knee) was the DH on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (4-3, 4.76 ERA) is to oppose Rockies RHP Dakota Hudson (2-7, 5.02) in the finale the three-game series.
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