Chicago, IL – Jeff Francis surrendered one run in six innings and Carlos Gonzalez went 5-for-5 with two home runs as the Colorado Rockies downed the Chicago Cubs, 9-4, in the second tilt of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
Gonzalez also doubled and singled twice for Colorado, which had lost five of six entering play. Eric Young hit a two-run homer and scored twice, while Troy Tulowitzki went 3-for-5 with two doubles. The Rockies erupted for 17 hits as a team and led 7-0 before Chicago finally got to Francis for a run on Darwin Barney's homer in the bottom of the fifth.
"It's nice to see not only (Gonzalez) bust out but also our whole offense," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.
Francis (2-3), a winner for the first time since his first start of the season, allowed just three hits, walked one and helped himself at the plate with a sacrifice fly.
The Rockies did most of their damage off Carlos Villanueva (1-3), who yielded seven runs on 12 hits in five innings.
"There wasn't a whole lot he had tonight," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said of his starter.
Gonzalez got the visitors going in the first inning when he sprayed a single between first and second base to plate Young, who doubled to lead off the game.
The Rockies put three more across one inning later. Following three straight singles, Francis helped his own cause with a sac fly to center to plate Nolan Arenado, and Young followed with his first homer of the season, a deep drive to straightaway center field.
Gonzalez' solo shot in the third put Colorado up, 5-0. Two innings later, Tulowitzki doubled to left, plating Gonzalez, and Todd Helton delivered a single through the hole at second base to plate the Rockies shortstop.
After Barney's fifth inning blast put the Cubs on the board, Chicago benefited from two Colorado errors in the bottom of the eighth. David DeJesus and Starlin Castro came around to score in the frame, but the Rockies tacked on two more in the top of the ninth on Gonzalez' second long-ball of the night and a Helton sac fly before Barney doubled in one final run in the bottom of the ninth.
Game Notes
Helton and Arenado had two hits apiece ... The Rockies went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position while Chicago hit just 2-for-12 with RISP ... Both teams left seven men on base.
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