Blackmon stays hot, Rockies pitch 1-hitter, top Mariners 5-0

SEATTLE (AP) — Even Charlie Blackmon staying hot at the plate was upstaged on this night by a foursome of Colorado Rockies pitchers, led by the debut of rookie Ryan Castellani.

Blackmon added three more hits to his major league-leading total and drove in three runs, and four Rockies pitchers combined to one-hit the Seattle Mariners in a 5-0 win on Saturday night.

Colorado won for the seventh time in eight games to keep rolling atop the NL West, and Blackmon wasn’t the only star. The Rockies were thrilled with Castellani's debut.

“The thing that was impressive to me was just his mound presence,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “His poise. He looked under control delivery wise, he didn’t over throw the ball. ... There was just so many positives tonight for Ryan that you really like to see that in the guys first game. It was really cool stuff.”

Castellani began with four perfect innings. He was pulled after a hit batter and walk to open the fifth. Castellani struck out three and threw 60 pitches.

Reliever Jeff Hoffman kept the no-hitter going until J.P. Crawford lined a single to center field with two outs in the sixth inning for the Mariners' lone hit.

Hoffman (2-0) threw three innings before Yency Almonte pitched a perfect eighth and Phillip Diehl closed out the ninth.

Castellani said Diehl was his throwing partner through baseball's shutdown and found it fitting the lefty closed out his first start.

“Huge relief getting it over with. I still can't believe it's real right now,” Castellani said. “First off, just super happy we won. I mean, I couldn't have pictured it any better in my head.”

Blackmon doubled twice, the second hitting the top of the wall in right field and barely missing a grand slam. Blackmon settled for a bases-clearing double to...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Blackmon-stays-hot-Rockies-pitch-1-hitter-top-15469999.php