Lost in the hoopla of Friday’s opening day at Coors Field, not to mention the Rockies’ 5-3 loss to the Dodgers, was the ninth-inning at-bat by Charlie Blackmon.
It was a prime example of a 35-year-old hitter’s experience.
Blackmon’s RBI double that drove in Elias Diaz took place in the shadows — literally. When Blackmon came up, shadows had encroached on home plate. Plus, Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel was throwing a high-velocity fastball and wicked curveball. But on a 1-2 count, Blackmon managed to put the head of his bat on Kimbrel’s curve and drive the ball into right field.