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Cabrera, Royals pound Rockies 16-8

Jul 4, 2011 - 1:11 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals put on an impressive offensive display Sunday at Coors Field, pounding out 21 hits and beating the Rockies 16-8 in the finale of a three-game interleague series.

Melky Cabrera led the attack, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI while Eric Hosmer went 4-for-6 with a three-run homer and four RBI.

Jeff Francoeur added three hits and three RBI for the Royals, who snapped their five-game losing streak.

Blake Wood (4-0) worked 1 2/3 innings in relief of Luke Hochevar to earn the win.

Carlos Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a career-high six RBI while Mark Ellis added a two-run home run for the Rockies, who have lost three of their past five and six of their past nine.

Jason Hammel (4-8) was shelled in 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits while fanning a pair and walking one.

Kansas City jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Cabrera's solo home run in the first inning. He belted a three-run shot in the third to make it 4-0, depositing a Hammel offering deep into the seats in right for his 11th homer of the year.

The Royals added to their lead again in the fourth, plating a pair of runs. Matt Treanor and Mike Moustakas led off with doubles to score the first run. Moustakas advanced to third on a groundout by Alcides Escobar and scored on a bunt by Chris Getz to give KC a 6-0 advantage.

Colorado mounted a big rally in the fifth, plating five runs. Ty Wigginton worked a walk to lead off the inning and Matt Pagnozzi laced a one-out single to put runners on first and second for the Rockies. Pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs walked to load the bases and Gonzalez came through with a three-run double down the line in right. The Rockies weren't done, as Ellis hit a two- run homer deep into the left field corner seats to make it 6-5.

But Kansas City came right back in the sixth, using four doubles in the inning to push across six runs and expand its lead to 12-5.

"Those tack-on runs were huge," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I can't overstate, when you score early and have a six run lead and they come back and score five, momentum is on their side, and you snuf it out with another six- spot, it was huge."

Colorado got three runs back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, three- run homer by Gonzalez, his 13th of the season, to make it a 12-8 ballgame.

The slugfest continued in the seventh for the Royals as they plated four more runs for the final margin. With runners on the corners, Francoeur poked a ball off the end of the bat for an infield single, which scored Cabrera. Hosmer followed with a mammoth three-run home run to right, his sixth of the year.

"It's one of those days where, if they hit the ball, it's going to find a hole somewhere," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said of the Royals' offensive explosion.

Game Notes

At 56-37, the Rockies have the best interleague record in the NL over the past five seasons...Colorado is 2-11 in 2011 on Sunday this season...Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who went 1-for-4 Sunday, was elected to his second All-Star game, while Royals' reliever Aaron Crow will make his first appearance...Gonzalez left the game in the seventh after crashing into the center field wall...16 runs scored was a season-high for the Royals.