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Rockies rout Tigers

Jun 18, 2011 - 5:40 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Carlos Gonzalez homered and knocked in four runs, as Colorado hammered Detroit, 13-6, in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Chris Nelson added a three-run homer, the first of his career, as the Rockies won their third straight contest after a three-game slide. Rookie Charlie Blackmon went 4-for-4 and knocked in two runs.

"It's hard to do. I've only done it in the minors once, maybe twice," Blackmon said about his four-hit night. "It's awesome. You'd like to do it every night. It makes you feel good."

Jason Hammel (4-6) went 6 1/3 innings in the win, allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks.

Rick Porcello (6-5) was touched for nine runs -- six earned -- on eight hits and two walks in just three innings for the loss.

Jhonny Peralta had a grand slam for the Tigers, who suffered their second defeat in three games.

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in the first, but got just one run across when Alex Avila walked. But that would be all the Tigers would get as Peralta popped out.

That would be the only lead Detroit would have as Colorado loaded the bases in the second and scored six times and batted around. Chris Iannetta hit a bloop single into shallow center field to score Seth Smith, Hammel worked a walk to plate Ty Wigginton and Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly before Nelson pulled a ball inside the left-field foul pole to give the Rockies a 6-1 lead.

"I just didn't do a good job limiting the damage there. They had an opportunity to score some runs, but I also had an opportunity to put a foot down and stop it a three runs and I ended up giving up a big hit," Porcello said about the second inning.

Smith tripled to lead off the third and crossed the plate on Avila's fielding error on a ball hit by Wiggington. Gonzalez's two-run double later in the inning made it 9-1.

Colorado continued the rout with a Tulowitzki RBI double and a run scoring single by Blackmon in the fourth.

Gonzalez then went deep in the fifth before Blackmon singled in Wigginton in the sixth to finalize the scoring for Colorado.

Detroit tried to get back into the game with Peralta's grand slam in the sixth. Victor Martinez and Magglio Ordonez hit back-to-back base hits and Avila walked before Peralta placed a ball into the left-field bleachers.

A Martinez groundout scored Austin Jackson in the seventh, but the Tigers couldn't capitalize despite placing two men on base in both the eighth and ninth.

Game Notes

Colorado placed catcher Jose Morales on the 60-day disabled list and purchased the contract of catcher Matt Pagnozzi from Colorado Springs on Friday...Detroit hit 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base while Colorado was 6-for-11 and left just four...The Rockies finished the game with 14 hits and the Tigers had 12...Miguel Cabrera was thrown out at the plate trying to score on an Ordonez single in the third.