Denver, CO – Will Middlebrooks went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and a three-run homer to help the Boston Red Sox spoil Todd Helton's final game at Coors Field with a 15-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia had four hits and three RBI and Shane Victorino added three hits and a three-run homer for the Red Sox, who hold a two-game lead over the Oakland Athletics for the top seed in the AL playoffs.
Jake Peavy (12-5) allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks over six innings to pick up the win.
Helton, who was presented with a horse prior to the game, went 2-for-3 with a double, homer and three RBI in his final home appearance.
"Certain players have a flair for the dramatic, and seemingly that was one tonight," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
The first baseman holds team records in nearly every offensive category, including batting average, hits, home runs and RBI. Helton announced that he will retire at season's end after 17 years of service, all with the Rockies.
"I hoped I would go out and play well," said Helton. "But there was so much going on before the game. My expectations weren't that high. To be able to go out and play and be productive, that means a lot to me."
Jhoulys Chacin (14-10) gave up seven runs on nine hits over four innings to absorb the loss.
Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. With runners on the corners and one out, David Ortiz crushed a double to right field to score Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. After Daniel Nava lined out, Saltalamacchia singled to center to bring Ortiz around.
Helton came to the plate for the first time in second inning and was greeted with a standing ovation. After watching a pair of fastballs, Helton clobbered a cutter into the right-field seats.
Yorvit Torrealba added an RBI double later in the inning to make it 3-2.
Saltalamacchia doubled home Nava in the third, but the Rockies answered with a pair of runs to tie things up at 4-4.
With the bases loaded and one out, Helton lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Nolan Arenado followed with a ground-rule double to plate Josh Rutledge.
Boston, however, plated three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to break the game open.
In the fourth, Victorino smashed a three-run homer to left, and Middlebrooks added a three-run shot in the fifth for a 10-4 edge.
Helton's final hit at Coors Field came in the fifth inning. Michael Cuddyer walked then scored on Helton's double to left field.
Saltalamacchia added an RBI single in the eighth and Middlebrooks clobbered his grand slam later in the frame to account for the final difference.
Game Notes
Boston was 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position ... The first 35,000 fans in attendance received a Todd Helton bobble head doll ... Helton has 15 homers for the 12th time in his career. It is his highest total since the 2009 season ... Ortiz reached the 100 RBI plateau for the seventh time and first since 2010.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.