Rockies beat Arizona 4-2 to end 9-game skid
DENVER — Tyler Chatwood pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Andrew Brown homered and the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Monday night to end a nine-game losing streak.
Jason Kubel homered for the Diamondbacks, who have slim hopes of a late-season playoff push. Arizona fell 5½ games behind St. Louis with nine remaining in the race for the second NL wild card.
Tyler Colvin and Charlie Blackmon had two hits each for Colorado. Rafael Betancourt worked the ninth for his 30th save.
For one night, at least, the Rockies (59-94) avoided tying the franchise record for losses in a season with a solid performance from Chatwood. Colorado’s pitchers had allowed 33 runs on 48 hits through the first three games of this series before holding the Diamondbacks to five hits Monday.
Chatwood (5-5) gave up three hits and two runs before three relievers combined to retire 10 of the final 12 Arizona batters.
Betancourt set down his first two in the ninth before yielding consecutive singles. John McDonald lined out to right field to end the game.
Trevor Cahill (12-12) allowed three runs — two earned — on nine hits and struck out six in six innings.
Colorado led 1-0 entering the fourth when Kubel sent an 82 mph changeup into the second deck in right field for a two-run homer. It was his 30th.
The Rockies responded in their half of the inning. Colvin led off with a single, Chris Nelson walked and Matt McBride singled to load the bases.
Colvin scored on a groundout by Brown, and Nelson scored on DJ LeMahieu’s groundout to make it 3-2.
Brown hit a solo home run — his fourth of the season — in the eighth to make it 4-2.
The Rockies got the first two on in the fifth but couldn’t cash in.
Colvin’s RBI single in the first gave Colorado a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Arizona 2B Aaron Hill was out of the lineup due to sickness. ... Rockies OF Dexter Fowler (right wrist) did not start but came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth. ... OF Carlos Gonzalez (tight left hamstring) was not in the starting lineup for the fifth straight game. Gonzalez came in as a pinch-hitter Saturday and Sunday.