Rockies' 7-run first too much for Hammel, Cubs to handle
DENVER — Cubs starter Jason Hammel came to Coors Field on a roll but was roughed up by the Colorado Rockies.
Nolan Arenado broke out of a slump in a big way, hitting 2 homers and driving in 6 runs Sunday to boost the Rockies to an 11-4 victory over the Cubs.
Arenado hit a 3-run homer during a 7-run outburst in the first inning that included 3 Cubs errors, then added another 3-run drive in the fourth.
Hammel (13-6) had been 6-0 with a 0.95 ERA since the all-star break before getting hit hard. The Rockies scored 10 runs off him, 6 earned, in 3⅓ innings.
“An oil painting it was not,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “We gave them too many opportunities and we made Jason have to get six outs (in the first inning). We started making too many mistakes and we put Jason behind the proverbial 8-ball.”
Addison Russell homered twice, his 16th and 17th, and Anthony Rizzo had 2 hits for the Cubs.
Arenado leads the majors with 104 RBI — he had a major-league-high 130 last year — and tops the NL with 32 home runs.
The all-star third baseman was 1-for-16 on the Rockies' homestand before getting 4 hits Sunday. He passed Cubs slugger Kris Bryant for the NL homer lead.
Jorge De La Rosa (8-7) tossed 8 innings and delivered a 2-run single in the first as the Rockies quickly ended Hammel's 22-inning scoreless streak.
De La Rosa scattered 4 hits and struck out six in matching his longest outing since last Sept. 16. Russell was the only batter to reach second base against the lefty, who outpitched his former teammate.
“A lot of foul balls today off my slider and two mistakes to Arenado,” Hammel said. “That was pretty much the story.
“We'll forget about it. It's not going to bother me. I was pitching great up until this point and it's one of those outliers and we will just move on.”
Arenado's first homer hugged the left-field foul pole to start the early scoring. Tony Wolters had a 2-run double and De La Rosa added his single.
Arenado singled in the second and drove Hammel's first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats to make it 10-0 in the fourth.
DJ LeMahieu also homered for Colorado.
“That's the kind of game I really don't dwell on for very long,” Maddon said. “Once you (media) guys leave I promise you I going to crack open a Miller Lite and I am going to grab something to eat.”
Russell hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh, and the Cubs scored 2 more runs off reliever Matt Careerist in the ninth.
The Cubs' last run came when pinch hitter Jorge Soler hit a foul popup between home and first and Rizzo ran in from third to an uncovered home plate.
Soler didn't start after fouling a ball off his right knee in Saturday's win. Maddon said he didn't want to play him in the spacious Coors Field outfield.
Jon Lester (13-4, 2.86) will open the Cubs' three-game series in San Diego tonight. It will be the first start of Lester's career in Petco Park.