Toglia hits three homers, Tovar adds two, Rockies beat Mets

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Toglia became the first Colorado switch-hitter to homer three times in a game, leading the Rockies to an 8-5 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Ezequiel Tovar homered twice and red-hot Brenton Doyle homered again as the Rockies hit a season-high six home runs to finish the three-game series with 10.

Toglia connected for three solo home runs, two off New York starter Jose Quintana (4-6), to become the first Rockies player with a three-homer game since Brendan Rodgers in a 13-12 victory over Miami in the second game of a doubleheader on June 1, 2022.

“I feel pretty awesome,” Toglia said. “It’s extremely rare so when it does happen, all you can do is try to enjoy it. It’s pretty sweet that it’s going into the All-Star break, so I’ll be able to sit on that for a few days”

Toglia hit his final homer in the eighth off reliever Adrian Houser. He is the sixth Colorado hitter to achieve the feat in a road game. Toglia entered the game with just seven hits in July.

“I grew up a Yankee fan as a kid, so to do against the Mets felt pretty good,” he joked. “My dad is extra happy – he grew up in New York.”

Toglia said he last hit three homers in a game with Triple-A Albuquerque against Round Rock on August 27, 2022.

All-Star Pete Alonso also homered and Jose Iglesias reached base five times and scored two runs for New York, which had its five-game winning streak snapped. The Mets fell for just the second time in nine games and go into the All-Star break 49-46, just missing reaching 50 wins before the break for just the ninth time in franchise history.

“Interesting,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza laughed when asked to assess the Mets’ first half. “We are in a better position now but understanding that we still have a ways to go.”

Doyle drove Quintana’s first pitch of the sixth inning to the left of the Citi Field home run apple for the third Colorado blast of at least 430 feet to snap a 3-3 tie. The homer was his eighth in July. Doyle is hitting .422 (19 for 45) with five doubles and 15 RBIs in the month.

Germán Márquez made his first appearance in the majors in 445 games, returning to the mound after 2023 Tommy John surgery. After cruising through the first three innings, Márquez tired in the fourth, allowing a two-run homer by Alonso and a bases-loaded walk to Francisco Lindor.

Márquez threw 70 pitches over four innings and his strikeout of Alonso leading off the second was the 986th of his career, passing Jorge De La Rosa to become Colorado’s career leader.

“It is an honor,” Márquez said. “That guy is my friend and it’s an honor to break that record. I have to keep going and strike people out (to make the record harder for the next person to break).”

Justin Lawrence (2-3) struck out two over a scoreless inning after relieving Márquez.

The Rockies quickly jumped on the board in the first on Tovar’s 431-foot, two-run drive into the second deck, snapping a 19-game homerless streak. Charlie Blackmon led the game off with a single, his 11th in his first 20 at-bats against Quintana before Tovar put Colorado on the board.

Quintana, who struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings, allowed four homers in a game for the first time in his 13-year career.

“It’s a little frustrating to give up homers like that,” he said. “They tried to attack the zone early and they took advantage of that."

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: To make room for Márquez on the active roster, Colorado optioned right-handed pitcher Angel Chivilli to Double-A Hartford. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Josh Rogers (shoulder) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque following Saturday’s game.

Mets: RHP Kodai Senga (shoulder) allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings with three strikeouts for Triple-A Syracuse in his third minor league rehab start. Facing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RoughRiders, a New York Yankees affiliate for the second time, Senga threw 40 of his 66 pitches for strikes. A decision on whether or not Senga will need additional time in the minor leagues is expected to made after the All-Star Break … Mendoza was unable to offer any new timetable on OF Starling Marte (knee) and categorized Marte’s recovery as slow. Recent imaging showed improvement with the deep bone bruise on his right knee, but Mendoza said he is unsure when he’ll be back

UP NEXT

After the All-Star Break, New York heads to Florida to open a four-game series against Miami, while Colorado opens a six-game homestand against San Francisco. Projected starters have not been announced for either game.