DENVER – Jeff Francis pitched six scoreless innings, and Rex Brothers bailed out newly recalled Tyler Chatwood before the Colorado Rockies broke out for a 10-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Michael Cuddyer and Wilin Rosario each hit two-run homers in the eighth inning to help secure the win for Francis.
Francis (1-1) became the first Rockies starter to earn a win since June 4, the last time the Rockies won consecutive games.
The Rockies have won four of the five games started by Francis, who has allowed three runs in 16 innings in his past three starts.
Former Rockies pitcher Jason Marquis (1-4) held Colorado to two runs through five innings before they scored four in the sixth.
Francis became the second Rockies starter to work six innings since they implemented a four-man rotation June 19.
Manager Jim Tracy had seventh-inning specialist Brothers warming up but turned to Chatwood, called up earlier Friday from Triple-A Colorado Springs, in the seventh with the Rockies ahead by six runs.
Chatwood allowed a leadoff homer to Carlos Quentin and a run-scoring single to pinch hitter Will Venable in the eighth. Brothers came on with none out and runners on first and second to face the Padres No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters. He struck out Chase Headley and Quentin and got Yonder Alonso to line out to right.
The Rockies scored a run in the first and another in the third.
Marco Scutaro doubled with one out in the first, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Carlos Gonzalez's ground out. Scutaro's two-out single in the third scored Rosario, who led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Francis.
Marquis began his third trip through the lineup in the sixth and proved vulnerable. He had allowed three hits to that point but gave up three straight extra-base hits in what became a four-run outburst with help from the Padres defense.
Dexter Fowler led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Scutaro. Gonzalez tripled into the right field corner and scored when second baseman Logan Forsythe's relay throw sailed into the stands. With two outs, shortstop Everth Cabrera misplayed Chris Nelson's grounder, and Colvin scored to make it 6-0.
Francis retired 10 batters in a row before Headley singled with one out in the fourth, but Francis got Quentin to ground into a double play.
Francis threw 83 pitches, 49 strikes in six innings. Christian Friedrich — on July 22 at Texas — is the only other starter to pitch six innings in the 11 games the Rockies have used a four-man rotation.
John Baker led off the Padres sixth with a sharp grounder into right field for a single, the third and final hit off Francis. After Marquis' sacrifice, Francis issued his only walk, but Forsythe flied to left and Chase Headley grounded to third
Marquis, who went 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA for the Rockies in 2009, is 10-7 with a 3.78 at Coors Field in 22 games, 21 starts.
In his past four starts, the Padres have scored a total of five runs.
Cuddyer, who had two hits in 14 at-bats on the homestand and had just seven hits in his last 53 at-bats when he came to bat in the eighth, hit a two-run homer, his 12th of the year. Four batters later, Rosario hit another two-run shot. It was his 12th homer and also came off left-hander Alex Hinshaw.
NOTES: To make room on the roster for Chatwood, the Rockies optioned left-hander Edwar Cabrera to Triple-A Colorado Springs two days after he struggled in his major league debut. ... Jhoulys Chacin (nerve irritation in chest muscle) threw a 30-pitch bullpen, all fastballs. He last pitched for the Rockies on May 1. Tracy said, "My understanding is there was a lot more coming out today. He is definitely progressing. I was pleased to hear that." ... Friedrich (4-5) will start for the Rockies against Edinson Volquez (4-7) of the Padres on Saturday.
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