Denver, CO – Michael Cuddyer went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, three RBI and three runs scored to pace the Colorado Rockies past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-5, on Thursday.
Wilin Rosario added a pair of RBI, while Josh Rutledge, Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton and Tyler Colvin knocked in a run apiece for the Rockies, who had dropped three straight entering the contest.
Jhoulys Chacin (8-3) gave up four runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four over 5 2/3 innings to win his fifth straight start.
Adrian Gonzalez went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and two RBI and Matt Kemp added a two-run shot for the Dodgers, who lost for just the second time in 12 games.
Chris Capuano (2-6) was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.
Colorado jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. DJ LeMahieu led off with a double, moved to third on Rutledge's sacrifice bunt and came around on Carlos Gonzalez's double into the right-field corner.
Andre Ethier singled before Kemp blasted a hanging slider over the wall in center to put the Dodgers up 2-1 in the second.
The Rockies added four runs in the third inning to take the lead for good. Chacin and LeMahieu each singled before Rutledge smacked an RBI base hit to center. After Carlos Gonzalez grounded into a fielder's choice, Cuddyer laced a two-run double off the wall in center. Rosario followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.
"It's frustrating, as a starter, to put your team in a hole like that," Capuano said. "If I make a pitch to Cuddyer, it could have been a different game."
In the fifth inning, Rosario and Helton hit back-to-back RBI singles before Colvin capped the inning with an RBI base hit of his own to put Colorado on top 8-2.
The Dodgers pushed two runs across in the sixth. Yasiel Puig roped an RBI single to center to score Nick Punto, and Adrian Gonzalez followed with a double to center to score Puig.
Cuddyer pounded a 2-1 fastball over the wall in right-center in the seventh to put the Rockies up 9-4, with Adrian Gonzalez delivering a solo shot in the ninth to account for the final difference.
"If I happen to hit home runs, I'm still a singles hitter. It's Colorado. The high altitude. I'm just trying to get singles up the middle," said Cuddyer. Game Notes
Chacin hasn't lost since May 16, a span of nine straight starts ... Rosario has hit safely in nine straight games ... The Rockies improved to 19-8 at Coors field when scoring the game's first run ... Los Angeles went just 2- for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base ... Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to an NL-best 15 games by going 1-for-4 for Los Angeles.
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