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Rockies send Reds to ninth straight loss

May 26, 2015 - 12:49 AM Cincinnati, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Nolan Arenado drove in three runs to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Arenado's first-inning single opened the scoring, his ninth home run of the season came in the fourth, and his ninth-inning sacrifice fly decided the game.

DJ LeMahieu had two hits and drove in Colorado's two other runs, and Charlie Blackmon reached base three times, swiped three bags and scored twice. Rafael Betancourt (2-1) was awarded the win with 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief, and John Axford recorded his seventh save.

Starter Jason Marquis allowed four runs -- two earned -- on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings and could not help the Reds end their losing streak, now sitting at nine games. Aroldis Chapman (2-3) allowed the go-ahead run and took the loss. Todd Frazier and Marlon Byrd each homered, but Frazier's throwing error early in the game was costly.

"We shouldn't have to play a completely perfect game to win," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "We swung the bats better with 14 baserunners, but we just couldn't finish it off."

The Rockies scored in the top of the first on Arenado's single to score Blackmon, but their lead did not last long. In the bottom half of the inning, Joey Votto's single was followed by Frazier's 13th home run of the season to put the Reds up by two.

In the top of the second, Nick Hundley started the inning by reaching on Frazier's throwing error. After Daniel Descalso singled, Marquis got consecutive outs when starter Eddie Butler sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Blackmon struck out, but LeMahieu singled home both runners for a 3-2 Rockies lead.

Arenado extended that lead in the fourth with a solo home run before a two-out hit by Billy Hamilton in the home half of the inning scored Byrd to cut Cincinnati's deficit to 4-3.

Byrd's homer in the sixth tied the score and Butler would depart after the sixth, having allowed four runs on nine hits.

Each team's bullpen would work to keep the score tied at four until Colorado got to Chapman. Blackmon led off with a walk and moved to third on LeMahieu's single that dropped in shallow right field. Arenado then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Axford allowed the tying run to reach base with two outs, but Jay Bruce flew out to Blackmon to end the game.

Game Notes

This is Cincinnati's longest losing streak since they lost 11 in a row from June 14-24 in 1998 ... Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips played in his 1,500th game ... Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez sat out with an illness ... Marquis batted eighth in Cincinnati's lineup, making him the first Reds pitcher to bat somewhere other than ninth since Sept. 7, 1933 ... Prior to the game, the Reds placed catcher Devin Mesoraco on the 15-day disabled list and activated left-handed pitcher Manny Parra.