Aided by recent callups, Doyle stays hot as Rox turn tables on D-backs

DENVER -- Through his worst slumps of this season, during his hot July and this sizzling August and even during the eighth inning on Saturday night, the Rockies’ Brenton Doyle has trusted his chance will come.

How he received the opportunity for his two-run double off the right-field wall -- one of the key hits in the Rockies' six-run eighth inning in a 10-7 comeback victory over the Diamondbacks -- was special, because of the recent callups who gave him that chance.

With one out in the inning after Jordan Beck’s double, recent callups Warming Bernabel and Kyle Karros drew tough-minded walks from Diamondbacks reliever Andrew Hoffmann. Bernabel worked his walk after being down 0-2, Karros' came after he was down 1-2.

"Whenever you pass the bat to the next guy, good things will happen,” Doyle said. “It works. Their two really good at-bats possibly gave me better pitches in my at-bat to put in play and make things happen.”

Quite a bit happened in the inning. Kyle Farmer’s pinch-hit single off Andrew Saalfrank accounted for the tying and go-ahead runs (aided by a fielding error from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.). Then Tyler Freeman delivered a two-run homer off Saalfrank for the victory margin.

The Rockies may be 34-89, but rallies like the one in the eighth -- which led to the club's MLB-leading fourth victory after trailing by five or more runs -- are becoming part of the story. All of the endings aren’t as dramatic as Aug. 1 against the Pirates, when Doyle’s two-run game-ending shot completed a comeback from a nine-run deficit for a 17-16 victory.

The Rockies are 12-15 since the All-Star break.

"Wins like this and the Pittsburgh game, coming from behind, that’s only going to help us in the future,” Doyle said. “We know we’re not out of any ballgame until the very end.”

Doyle has been at the center of much of the resurgence.

For much of the year, Doyle has what he has (.237, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs) because of his own resilience. The start was hot on a club that was cold, but a nagging quadriceps injury and time away for family reasons left him searching for magic. But hitting was fleeting -- .227 in April, .194 in May, .151 in June -- and playing time became less regular for Doyle, who won Gold Gloves his first two seasons (2023-24).

But he hit .327 in 18 July games, as interim manager Warren Schaeffer played him mainly against left-handers as Mickey Moniak turned hot. This month, with a few more starts in favorable matchups against righties, Doyle is batting .383 with four homers in 14 contests. Extra work in the batting cage and study to get back to the form that led to a solid .763 OPS last season.

"He’s been good for probably a month now,” Schaeffer said. “Honestly, it doesn’t surprise me, because you know it’s in there. It just was a matter of time before it came out.

"He went through some struggles. He learned from them, which will do him service in the future -- how to get out of it. I’m happy for him that he’s having success.”

Freeman, whose homer was his second of the season and first at Coors this year, said Doyle’s resurgence helps the outfield group. Doyle plays center, Moniak can play all three (he started in left on Saturday) and Freeman (who plays right), join left-field regular Jordan Beck and recent callup Yanquiel Fernández (who plays right field and starts mostly against right-handers) in a group that’s developing esprit de corps even as players -- none older than 27 -- compete for opportunities.

Freeman said Doyle’s work is an example of the dedication to being tougher in the batter’s box.

"It’s part of the growing pains, for sure,” Freeman said. “Some guys aren’t going to be swinging in the first half and vice versa, whatever that may be, but we come out each and every day. This game is failure -- straight failure. Now, it’s just coming back.

"That’s what he did. He’s coming to the field every single day despite the results, and he gives his best effort. It’s really exciting to see him do his thing.”