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De La Rosa, Helton lift Rockies over Cubs

Apr 27, 2011 - 5:57 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Todd Helton belted two home runs, and Jorge De La Rosa was solid in seven innings to help the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3, in the middle tilt of a three-game series.

De La Rosa (4-0) struck out nine batters and allowed two runs -- one earned -- on six hits for the Rockies, who posted a 5-3 win over the Cubs on Monday. Ty Wigginton had a solo shot and finished 3-for-4 at the plate in the win.

Alfonso Soriano hit a leadoff homer in the ninth to make the game interesting for the Cubs, who inevitably dropped their third straight game.

James Russell (1-3) only lasted four-plus innings for Chicago, allowing four runs on five hits to get the loss.

Troy Tulowitzki's two-out RBI double in the third tied the game at two apiece. Colorado then went back on top in the fourth after Wigginton's leadoff shot.

The Rockies got a much-needed insurance run, 4-2, in the next inning on Helton's second empty-base homer of the game.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth when Soriano ripped a leadoff homer off Huston Street into the left field seats. The closer, though, settled down and retired the next three batters to get his ninth save of the season.

Colorado got on board during its first at-bat on Helton's solo shot to right- center.

"When [Russell] makes a mistake, they don't miss it very often," Cubs manager Mike Quade said.

The Cubs, though, put up two runs during the bottom of the first. Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney each had singles to start the inning. The next two batters were retired, but Jeff Baker singled to plate Castro. Chicago took a 2-1 lead on Tulowitzki's fielding error, which allowed Barney to come home.

"I felt much better after the [first] inning. I kept the ball down the rest of the game," De La Rosa said.

Game Notes

The Rockies improved to 10-3 on the road. They have tied the franchise's best road start with the 2006 club...With the win, Colorado has won three of their four series on the road this season.