Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Kristopher Negron's ninth-inning RBI single scored Ramon Santiago with the winning run, as Cincinnati clipped Colorado, 3-2, in the second edition of a four-game set from Coors Field.
Negron finished 4-for-4, while Jay Bruce and Santiago knocked in a run each for the Reds, who avenged a 7-3 loss in Thursday's opener and halted a three- game losing streak overall.
"I'm very happy," said Reds manager Bryan Price of Negron. "For a guy who came to spring training on the radar but on the outer rings of the radar. It was a hard-fought 3-2 win."
Johnny Cueto (15-6) struck out six over eight innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Aroldis Chapman shut the door in the ninth to pick up his 26th save.
Nolan Arenado homered and Corey Dickerson drove in the other run for the Rockies, who have dropped seven of their last nine.
Adam Ottavino (0-4) was charged with the deciding run on two hits over 1 1/3 relief frames.
Santiago began the ninth with a hit, then was sacrificed to second by Zach Cozart. Pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker drew a walk, then after Billy Hamilton popped out, Negron punched a single to center which brought in Cincinnati's lead run.
"We got in a good matchup situation," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss of the winning hit. "Negron hit that ball up the middle, but (Ottavino) has been deadly against right-handers."
Chapman then worked around a walk to Charlie Culberson in the home half, inducing a game-ending line-drive double play from pinch-hitter Michael McKenry.
Arenado's solo shot in the second put the hosts on the board.
Cueto helped himself by starting the third with a hit. Hamilton singled and both runners were sacrificed by Negron before a Bruce grounder plated Cueto.
Jack Hannahan stroked a leadoff double in the fourth and scored when Santiago followed with a base hit, but the Rockies equalized in the sixth as Dickerson's double chased home Justin Morneau.
Game Notes
Cueto vaulted over Adam Wainwright (STL), Clayton Kershaw (LAD) and Wily Peralta (MIL) to take the major-league lead in wins ... Chapman's string of 49 consecutive outings with at least one strikeout came to an end. Matt Belisle took the spot of scheduled Colorado starter Franklin Morales, who was sidelined due to the pending birth of his child ... Belisle was pulled after three innings and 49 pitches after giving up a run on four hits ... Before the game, the Reds announced that Dylan Axelrod will start on Saturday in place of the injured Homer Bailey.
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