Hilliard ties it with pinch-hit HR in 9th and Doyle's single in 10th lifts Rockies over Cubs 6-5

DENVER (AP) — Pinch-hitter Sam Hilliard tied the score with a two-run homer in the ninth inning and Brenton Doyle delivered a game-winning single in the 10th as the Colorado Rockies rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Saturday night.

Michael Toglia homered, Charlie Blackmon had three hits and Doyle drove in three runs for the last-place Rockies, who took their second consecutive game from Chicago.

Cody Bellinger and Pete Crow-Armstrong each hit a solo homer for the Cubs, who are six games behind the Braves and Mets for the third NL wild card.

The Rockies trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, and their first two batters struck out against reliever Porter Hodge. But then Hunter Goodman drew a walk to bring up Hilliard, who was batting for Jordan Beck.

“He obviously pitched to two great hitters," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Goodman had a good at-bat to work a walk. And Hilliard, give him credit. I don’t think he’s given up a homer to a left-handed hitter this year.”

Hilliard took the first pitch for a ball before driving the next one over the right-center fence and into the Rockies' bullpen to tie it. It was his fifth career pinch-hit homer and his eighth overall this season. “The main thing I was telling myself is, just be relaxed,” Hilliard said. “Just put a good at-bat together. If you just touch the ball, it’s gonna go, so I was trying to get on that guy’s fastball because it was playing up and had a little bit of cut to it. He just threw it right there, right in the middle of the plate, and I put a good swing on it. It’s a good feeling.”

Doyle’s clean single to left field off Drew Smyly (3-8) in the 10th scored automatic runner Aaron Schunk to end it.

“I wanted a pitch up in the zone, and he threw me a curveball up in the zone that started up and I just put a good swing on it,” Doyle said. “I didn’t want to beat anything into the ground, so I knew to elevate something a little bit, and that’s what I did.”

Tyler Kinley (6-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.

Jameson Tallion went six innings and allowed two runs, but the Cubs' bullpen could not preserve the lead for him.

Chicago led 2-0 when Bellinger started the fourth by driving a 91 mph sinker from Kyle Freeland into the right-field seats behind the out-of-town scoreboard for his 18th home run. He just missed a second homer, driving a flyball to straightaway center in the sixth that Doyle caught at the wall.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Justin Steele, on the 15-day injured list with elbow tendinitis, could be on the verge of rejoining the rotation after another strong bullpen session Saturday. “Everything went well,” Counsell said. “He felt good, threw all his pitches. It was very positive.” Barring a setback, Steele could be reinstated within a week.

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela is scheduled to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Monday night against Arizona. It will be his first appearance since May 10, 2023, when he left a start against Pittsburgh early. He later underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Senzatela made five starts at Double-A Hartford as part of a rehab assignment ahead of his return to the Rockies. “He’s really super confident physically and I think that’s the most important thing,” manager Bud Black said. “We’re going to monitor him. We’re hopeful he can go four or five innings.”

UP NEXT

Chicago RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-11, 6.51 ERA) is set to start Sunday’s series finale against RHP Cal Quantrill (8-9, 4.63), who is scheduled to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list after recovering from right triceps inflammation.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Colorado Rockies' Aaron Schunk celebrates after scoring in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong, left, celebrates with third base coach Willie Harris while running the bases after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrates while running the bases after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Colorado Rockies' Brenton Doyle hits an RBI sacrifice fly ball in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Colorado Rockies' Michael Toglia, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a one-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Colorado Rockies' Jake Cave (right) celebrates after hitting a double in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Colorado Rockies' Jake Cave runs to second base on a double in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Colorado Rockies' Michael Toglia celebrates after hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — More than 100 wildfires stretched thousands of firefighters to the limit in northern Portugal on Wednesday, with seven deaths since the worst spate of fires in recent years spread out of control over the weekend.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro declared a state of calamity for the hardest-hit areas late on Tuesday, invoking powers to mobilize more firefighters and civil servants. He also called on police investigators to redouble their efforts to find those who started the fires and pledged help for those who have lost their homes or have been evacuated.

“We are well aware that these difficult hours are not over yet,” Montenegro told the nation in a televised address. “We have to continue to give everything we have and ask for help from our partners and friends so that we can reinforce the protection of our people and property.”

The European Copernicus satellite service said that over 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) had been scorched and a combined 13 kilometers (8 miles) of fire fronts had been detected as on Tuesday night. It added that an area home to 210,000 people was exposed to the fire risk.

The hot, dry conditions behind the outbreaks in Portugal coincided this week with flooding in central Europe. The European Union said Wednesday that the juxtaposed extreme weather phenomena are proof of a “climate breakdown. ”

Fellow European Union members Spain, France, Italy and Greece have committed two water-dropping aircraft each to help Portuguese firefighters.

Spain’s military is also sending 240 soldiers and vehicles from its emergency response battalions specialized in combating fires to its neighbor.

Thick grey smoke and the smell of burnt wood reached some 85 kilometers across the border into northwest Spain.

Montenegro made a special call for security forces to pursue both arsonists and any individuals who started a fire out of negligence. Portuguese national police said that they have arrested seven men suspected of having started wildfires in recent days. Authorities have prohibited the use of heavy farming equipment to reduce the risk of inadvertently starting a blaze.

Among the hardest hit areas is the district of Aveiro, south of the northern city of Porto, but several major blazes were also raging out of control in other wooded areas.

Authorities have yet to release figures for property damage or the number of evacuees, but Portuguese state broadcaster RTP has shown charred houses in rural villages and local residents trying to battle flames with buckets of water, hoses, and even large tree branches. Other televised images showed visibility reduced to a few meters as orange smoke enveloped the terrain.

Three firefighters died in their vehicle on Tuesday, while another had succumbed to what authorities called a “sudden illness” while on duty over the weekend. Three civilians have also perished, according to civil protection authorities.

Portugal was devasted by massive fires in 2017 that killed over 120 people.

Experts link the fires to both climate change and the abandonment of traditional farming and forestry professions that helped keep rural areas clear of underbrush that is now fuel for fires.

Joseph Wilson wrote from Barcelona, Spain. Teresa Medrano contributed from Pontevedra, Spain.

Clouds of smoke drift with the strong wind as fires rage on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A fire burns on a hillside near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Fires rage on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A fire rages on the hills around Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday night, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Wildfire advances near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A woman tries to extinguish the flames near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Firefighters work to control a fire next to warehouses in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by wildfires fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

A car drives past a road closed by police as a wildfire burns close to it, near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday night, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Vehicles drive past a fire burning by the road near Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday night, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)