Cardinals rout Rockies behind early homer spree

[September 13, 2019]  St. Louis' Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong started the game with consecutive home runs, and the Cardinals also got leadoff homers in the second, third and fourth innings en route to a 10-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday in Denver.

Rangel Ravelo, Marcell Ozuna and Harrison Bader went deep, and Fowler, Wong and Andrew Knizner had two hits apiece for the Cardinals, who salvaged the finale of a three-game series. Paul DeJong and Wong each had two stolen bases.

The Cardinals maintained a four-game lead in the National League Central over the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, who both won Thursday. The Brewers earned their seventh straight victory, and they head to St. Louis for a key three-game series starting Friday night.

Nolan Arenado homered and finished with two hits, Josh Fuentes hit his first major league home run, and Garrett Hampson had two hits for the Rockies.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (9-13) allowed three runs on five hits and a walk and struck out three over five innings.

Colorado's Tim Melville (2-2) was roughed up for five runs on five hits, four of them home runs, in just three innings. He walked two and fanned one.

Fowler homered, his 17th, on the first pitch of the game. Wong followed four pitches later with his 11th to give St. Louis a quick 2-0 lead.

Ravelo hit his second homer starting the second. Ozuna hit his 27th to begin the fourth, and Bader homered leading off the fifth to help the Cardinals build a 6-3 lead. It was Bader's eighth of the season.

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong (16) reacts as he rounds the bases on a solo home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis sent 10 men to the plate in a four-run ninth to pad its lead.

An RBI double from Arenado in the bottom of the first and a solo homer in the second by Fuentes, Arenado's cousin, gave the Rockies their first two runs. Arenado added his 39th home run in the third and now has 112 RBIs.

Plate umpire Gerry Davis left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when he was hit in the mask by a foul ball. Brennan Miller moved from first base to behind the plate, and Brian Knight went from second to first.

--Field Level Media

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