Rockies out-slug Cubs despite Chicago's 3-HR inning

[June 11, 2019]  Charlie Blackmon homered and had three hits, Nolan Arenado and Ian Desmond also hit home runs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Monday night in Denver.

Ryan McMahon had a tiebreaking single in the eighth to lift the Rockies. Scott Oberg (4-0) pitched an inning of relief, and Wade Davis got the final three outs for his eighth save.

David Bote, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber homered for the Cubs, all three coming in the third inning.

The game was tied in the eighth when Daniel Murphy reached on a one-out double off Steve Cishek (1-3) and stole third. After a strikeout, McMahon ripped a ball into the gap to score Murphy before being thrown out trying to stretch it to a double to end the inning.

Things were quiet for the first two innings before the ball started flying out in the third. Bote, who grew up in Longmont, Colo., about 35 miles northwest of Coors Field, started things with his eighth home run, a leadoff shot into the Rockies bullpen.

Schwarber hit the next pitch into the seats in left for his 13th home run to make it 2-0. Kris Bryant walked, and Rizzo followed with a 433-foot blast to center to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead. It was his 17th of the season.

German Marquez settled down to get the next three batters, and Colorado came right back in its half of the third against Yu Darvish. Tony Wolters was hit by a pitch, and one out later Blackmon hit his 11th home run just inside the pole in right field to slice the lead in half.

Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

After Trevor Story struck out, David Dahl singled and stole second. Arenado then tied it with his team-leading 17th home run.

Colorado took the lead in the seventh off reliever Mike Montgomery. With one out, Desmond hit a 1-2 pitch deep into the seats in left field, his seventh homer of the season and second as a pinch hitter.

The Cubs tied it in the eighth against Oberg when Bryant walked, went to third on Rizzo's single and scored on Javier Baez's groundout.

Marquez gave up four runs on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in six innings. Darvish also went six innings, giving up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.