• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Rockies close out homestand by whacking D-Backs again

May 23, 2013 - 12:45 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Carlos Gonzalez drove in two runs on a homer and a triple to lead the way as the Colorado Rockies capped a successful homestand with a 4-1 decision over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Nolan Arenado added an RBI double, while Jorge De La Rosa headed up a strong pitching display that helped the Rockies end a seven-game stretch at home with victories in five of their final six games, with two of the wins coming in this three-game set.

"That was the whole plan for us, winning series against the teams that were ahead of us," said Gonzalez, whose team began the homestand by taking three of four from fellow NL West member San Francisco. "It's a good feeling and it creates a lot of motivation for us."

De La Rosa (6-3) yielded a run on six hits over 5 1/3 innings to win his fourth consecutive start, with Edgmer Escalona, Matt Belisle and Rex Brothers shutting out the Diamondbacks the rest of the way.

Arizona starter Trevor Cahill (3-5) surrendered all four Colorado runs in six innings of work, with Wil Nieves finishing 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double in the loss.

Cahill entered the contest having gone 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA over his five previous starts. but wasn't able to continue that run of success after being hit hard early on.

Gonzalez socked a first-inning offering into the home bullpen to quickly send the Rockies in front, with Dexter Fowler and Arenado following with back-to- back doubles to extend the lead to 2-0.

Colorado reached Cahill for two more runs in the third, with D.J. LeMahieu reaching on a one-out single before Gonzalez brought him home with a line drive down the right-field line that the slugger hustled out to a triple. Cahill uncorked a wild pitch shortly afterward to enable Gonzalez to cross the plate for a 4-0 score.

De La Rosa had allowed just one hit -- a Cahill double in the third -- before Cody Ross led off the fourth with a single. He proceeded to set down the next two batters, but couldn't prevent Nieves from lacing a double into the left- center field gap that plated Ross and got Arizona on the board.

The Colorado lefty was touched for two more singles in the fifth, but got Paul Goldschmidt to bounce into an inning-ending double play to keep the score 4-1.

"He had to work a little bit, but got through a couple of issues and he came out of there with the lead," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of De La Rosa. "He certainly did his job."

Arizona didn't advance a runner past second against the trio of Escalona, Belisle and Brothers, who combined to give up just two hits over the final 3 2/3 frames.

"[The Rockies] out-executed us offensively," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "We didn't drive anybody in even though they only had seven hits."

Game Notes

Brothers notched his second career save while filling in for injured closer Rafael Betancourt, who sat out a second straight day with tightness in his right groin, and extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 18 ... Cahill allowed four earned runs or less for a 28th straight start, surpassing Brandon Webb (2004-05) for the second longest stretch in Diamondbacks' history. Randy Johnson had 30 such starts between Apr. 13-Sept. 22, 2001 ... De La Rosa is now 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four home assignments this season ... The Diamondbacks failed to homer for a fifth straight game ... Ross and A.J. Pollock each went 2-for-4 for Arizona, with Fowler collecting a pair of hits for the Rockies.