Adding in his two-run base hit in the first inning – “I was just waiting for a fastball”, he said – De La Rosa put together perhaps his most complete game of the season Sunday.
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The Tigers won for just the fourth time in 14 games, and went 2-5 on their stay at Comerica Park.
De La Rosa set down the Cubs in order to start the game, but the Rockies had other plans in the bottom half of the inning.
The catalyst for Sunday’s win was Nolan Arenado, who broke out of a slump by going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs to re-take the National League lead in homers and runs batted in.
Cardinals 9, Phillies 0: Mike Leake pitched seven strong innings and hit a two-run single and St. Louis homered four times to rout Philadelphia. Finally, it improved the Rockies to 60-64 on the season; in three of the past four seasons, they failed to eclipse 50 wins in their first 124 games. “I was pitching great up until this point, and it’s one of those outliers and we will just move on”.
It’s important because the Cubs are trying to save some wear and tear on a few arms – see Travis Wood – until help arrives with roster expansion on September 1.
Urias (4-2) allowed six hits, struck out six and walked none, throwing 62 of 97 pitches for strikes.
“Everything was working”, said De La Rosa, who threw 70 of his 107 pitches for strikes. “Curveball, changeup, fastball. Good location, too”. He allowed 10 hits and 10 runs, six earned, in 3 1/3 innings, a season low for a start not related to injury.LeMahieu, who had three hits after his 10-game hitting streak ended Saturday, hit his 10th homer in the eighth.NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon was not in the lineup for the third straight day but said his bruised right big toe was better.
The Rockies beat the Nationals, 12-10, in Denver on Wednesday in the series rubber match.
“If you have to go to the pen, it affects you for the next couple, three days”, Weiss said.
INDIANS 3, BLUE JAYS 2: At Cleveland, Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Brett Cecil in the eighth inning and Cleveland beat Toronto to win the series between teams that began the game as AL division leaders. Anthony Rizzo botched a routine groundout from Gerardo Parra, allowing him to reach first base. Things were cooking right away for the Rockies with David Dahl and DJ Lemahieu singles. After Daniel Descalso walked, third baseman Kris Bryant threw wide of second base on Ben Paulsen’s grounder to load the bases. “The big one was that two-run single by Montero”.
“I think it speaks volumes”, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.
Todd Frazier had three hits and drove in two runs, and Justin Morneau added an RBI double in Chicago’s three-run first as the White Sox took the final two games of the series and handed Oakland its seventh loss in eight games. “We gave them too many opportunities, and we made Jason have to get six outs (in the first inning)”. “When I’m going good, I can pull the ball with backspin”. He could start Monday at Milwaukee.
After Jeff Hoffman’s performance last night against the Cubs, the Rockies may not have room to resign veterans like De La Rosa after the season.
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In Sunday’s 11-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies showed off numerous reasons for fans to be optimistic about the future, and a couple areas where progress is still required.
